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pearl-neo · 1 year

Text

Paranoia

Pairing ⬩ Reader + Johnny

Genre ⬩ psychological thriller \ suspense \ mystery \ angst

Length ⬩ 13k — one shot

Plot ⬩ After a year spent living as a shut-in, you finally agree to go on a drive with your sister. When a storm steers your plan off course, you find yourselves brought closer to two charming strangers—but an unsettling tension lingers in your mind.

Warnings ⬩ anxiety; agoraphobia; implications of depression; ongoing feelings of helplessness, general discomfort, self-doubt; mental breakdown; minor violence; character death

‹ Note › The feelings/mannerisms that come as a consequence of (mild?) agoraphobia in this story all come from a personal place. I don’t mean to make light of anyone’s experience with mental illness.

Disclaimer! I don’t know any of the nct members personally, and would never claim this is how they behave/think in real life. They only inspire me to write these stories, and I think of them as a cast of actors like in a drama or movie. It’s never my intention to project on or disrespect any of the people mentioned.

A sliver of light escaped through the window blinds as your fingers pulled at one of the blades. Despite the clear and sunny sky outside, it was dim in your apartment. It often was. Your eyes rejected the foreign light for a brief moment before they readjusted.

Outside, a pale pink Cadillac convertible was parked in front of the building’s entrance. The kind where the back just above the tail lights rose in a theatrical peak on either side. The roof was down, revealing the velvet white interior. You liked the velvet, it was comfortable; you could almost remember what it felt like.

Although, right now, it only served to remind you of how much time had passed since you were last in it. Maybe a year, maybe a little longer than that… Right before your driver’s license got revoked and you gave up entirely.

“Are you gonna keep staring at it, or are we gonna go get in?” Your sister quipped from behind you, resting her chin on your shoulder. “Not that this isn’t a killer view.”

Even though you appreciated her keeping up a humorous air for your sake, you could still feel the tension. She had been trying to get you to go outside for at least an entire year. Yet you still always managed to back out at the last second.

“We’re absolutely not going to get out of the car?” You asked, probably for the tenth time now. For the whole duration of this past month, you would ask and she would reassure. Over and over again, that it would’ve made anyone else sick of you by now.

She squeezed your shoulders. “Nope, just drive around. Eat something nice. Drive back home before sunset. We’ll get on the coastal highway so there won’t even be that many cars.”

Opening the front door wasn’t a problem—online shopping was basically your lifeline. The slight nausea began only after you stepped out for the first time. Autumn was coming to an end, with the beginnings of a fierce winter approaching eagerly on its heels. The cold wind bit at your flushed cheeks, and you closed your eyes to take it in before willing yourself forward.

It almost didn’t feel real. That somehow made it easier.

The sky was so blue, the trees so green, you couldn’t quite stop staring as everything sped past you. The sun breathed life into the colors of its surroundings in a way that it could never fully achieve inside your apartment. Even having the sun directly on your skin felt foreign. Car roof down, the chilly wind engulfed you in waves.

Soon, you were on a curving highway by the sea. The road was flat and stretched as long as you could see, with only the odd car here and there. What you could only describe as psychedelic pop music played in a pleasant volume in the background.

The drive would be four hours long, two to the end of the coastal road and two back, but you took that as an excuse to stop by three different drive-throughs to assemble what was surely going to be a magnificent spread. A car picnic was part of how your sister had managed to entice you, after you saw some characters on a TV show do it. She even let you pick all of the food.

Breaking the trance-like silence, you said, “I don’t know if I can stand the smell of that food much longer…”

“Same,” she said, “we’re almost there, you see that?”

She nudged her head at a square brown building in the distance. It looked like one of those rest stops that would have a shabby family pool up front. You felt a sense of relief that you wouldn’t have to go in. Maybe you would get the courage to venture out of the car next time. Or maybe the time after that. You let your mind wander as you got closer and closer.

There was one other car already parked there, a jet black Brabus G Wagon. It was a monster of a car, so big and square you thought it almost looked like an armored hearse. When your car pulled over a few spaces away from it, it still managed to dwarf you by comparison.

The music kept playing as the pair of you laid out all of your food, placing it on a checkered picnic blanket that you had covering the trunk of your car, and pushed the front seats as far as they could go for you to stretch your legs out on.

Thankfully, the food was still hot when you took it out of the thermal containers. You had yourself to thank for that idea, so you mentally patted yourself on the back.

“The chicken is all limp,” your sister whined after she picked one up. Just as you reached out for a strip yourself, a drop of cool water landed on the back of your hand and slid off to the side. The colors had grown faded, and the air felt different.

“Oh no.”

And just like that, in under a minute, a few stray drops turned into one of the quickest downpours you had ever experienced. A strong wind came and blew some of the smaller containers off, while you both rushed to hold down whatever you could.

“This doesn’t look very partly cloudy,” your sister laughed. You admired her ability to laugh it off while you panicked and scrambled around dramatically, making a mental note to never trust the weather forecast again.

“Go on, you bring up the car roof and I’ll take care of these,” she called to you over the wind that was continuously growing louder.

The moment you let go of what you’ve been holding down, they slid away from you but mostly held their place (for now). The retracted roof only budged by the tiniest margin despite your incessant pulling. All this rain must’ve done something to it…

At that moment, the door of the black SUV opened and a young man with soft facial features half-jogged to your car. Fighting your instinct to recoil, you found yourself avoiding his eyes instead. You really weren’t ready to talk to anyone. Not to mention, you didn’t get a chance to do any mental preparation for it.

He, on the other hand, had an effortless smile on as he approached, and you almost rolled your eyes at yourself for noticing his dimples right now. But you didn’t, your brows furrowing instead.

“Hi,” he called, “let me help you.” Smoothly, he joined you in pulling the roof up. You could only manage a small “sorry” but your sister added a friendly “thank you!”

He was only wearing blue jeans and a lightweight white sweater. The expensive kind of fabric you wouldn’t want to get wet. So you glanced at him with guilt as it got wetter and wetter.

“It’s like it’s nailed down,” he laughed, eyes squinted in what looked like embarrassment.

“Oh!” he added, looking behind you. You turned to see one more young man coming out of the rest stop this time. It was a bigger guy dressed all in black. Despite his tall and muscular build, something about him was gracefully cat-like.

“Johnny! Could you give us a hand?” The dimpled guy beckoned him over, although he was already on his way to you.

“What’s up? Ah.”

Soon, it was all three of you yanking at it together. Ridiculous. For some reason, it didn’t feel any different than when you were pulling on it by yourself. You prayed that it would be over as soon as possible. You could already feel your breath constricting—even looking their way was difficult. Like they were radioactive.

“Okay, I don’t think this is working out. We might actually damage it if we keep this up,” Johnny said, looking between the three of you, “you’re better off coming inside for now. At least until this storm is over.”

You looked over at your sister, who had just successfully put away all she could save from the food, which was now stacked in a corner in the back seat, getting pitifully hammered by the rain.

Her smile was stretched from ear to ear. You tried to catch her eyes and somehow telepathically communicate to her how uncomfortable you felt, but she had already moved on to observing the dimpled guy’s physique.

Under other circumstances, you would’ve found it funny that you could see the exact moment she snapped out of it. But you were sad to admit that over the past year you rarely found anything funny anymore. A few moments later, her eyes found yours, apologetic.

“Actually, we really need to get going,” she turned to them. “Thanks for your help, though!”

Owing to the storm, it had gotten darker much earlier than anticipated. A glance at the road ahead only discouraged you further when you saw just how thick the fog had gotten—even with the roof up, driving in this weather would certainly be a questionable choice… You would never forgive yourself if you were the reason your sister got into an accident.

Frozen with your hands clenched by your sides, you mentally talked yourself into it. Just one night. Clearing your throat, you gave a hesitant “okay. Let’s go in.”

Her eyebrows shot up in response. “You sure?” Even though she was offering otherwise, you could see how tired she already was. You could also feel the eyes of the two men on you, although you didn’t look up to confirm it.

“Yeah. It’s too dark. We’ll leave as soon as the sun comes up, okay?” Although your words were directed at her, part of it was also said to yourself for reassurance. You continued in a low voice, forcing yourself to look up at them, “uh, thank you so much for trying to help.”

“No worries,” the dimpled guy smiled at the both of you.

If your sister had a tail, she would’ve been wagging it. It was hard not to see that she had a type. The dimpled man, who had a laid-back demeanor and a twinkle in his smiling eyes, was exactly the type she always gravitated towards. The type that looked like he would never hurt you.

A stagger in your step, you found your body resisting the walk inside. Something felt very wrong in your gut, twisting a knot into your stomach. Sharp feelings of regret started to find their way into your mind at having offered to stay. Today wasn’t supposed to go this way. You weren’t supposed to run into anyone.

It could’ve been your imagination, but you felt Johnny’s stare linger on you as you finally followed everyone inside.

You were wrong about there being a pool by the entrance of the rest stop. That was probably for the best, because everything else looked fairly uncared for, and the rain only exaggerated all the dirtier aspects.

Past the small courtyard covered in dead (and now, wet) leaves, and a lone vending machine with a few snacks covered in a thick layer of dust, the four of you walked through a smaller door leading to the lobby.

It was just as shabby on the inside as it looked on the outside. Dim, warm-toned light-bulbs provided less-than-ideal lighting so that you could only just make out your surroundings. A musty smell wafted your way almost as soon as you stepped in.

“I’m Jaehyun, by the way,” the dimpled guy’s voice made you turn, and you saw that he still had a relaxed smile on. You and your sister introduced yourselves as Johnny went ahead to the front desk, which was manned by an old woman and her cat. The cat sat with its front paws tucked into its chest, unfazed by the new guests.

“Are you guys staying here, too?” Johnny called back to the two of you.

“Go on,” your sister encouraged. You shot her a look, and she returned it with two thumbs up, miming you can do it.

Keeping any further signs of discomfort to yourself, you agreed that you were in dire need of practice. Given that you hadn’t spoken to anyone other than your sister for the past year, even the thought of a brief exchange with a clerk was enough to set you on edge. You approached the counter with heavy feet.

“Good afternoon,” you started, but the woman spoke right away in a sharp tone. “No vacancy. Under repair, dear.”

“Oh. Well… We’ll just wait in the lobby then, if you don’t mind.”

Your sister had moved on with Jaehyun, the pair of them talking by the entrance. Sopping wet and looking giddy, their laughter and voices were drowned out by the storm outside.

Johnny looked down at you then back to Jaehyun across the lobby before offering “you guys can crash at our room if you want.”

His smile was cat-like to boot, and he was even bigger up close. Absurdly attractive, too. Something about that almost made you queasy, but you passed it off as your nerves building up. How long was the storm going to last?

“We couldn’t. Thank you for your offer, though.” You managed to return a small smile, but by then there was something else in his eyes that you couldn’t decipher. Interest? Amusement?

It must’ve been something you didn’t like, after all, because you hurried away and hooked your arm through your sister’s. She took her time before finally turning away from Jaehyun and back to you.

Deciding it was best to speak away from Jaehyun’s ears, you dragged her farther away. Just in case he felt charitable enough to repeat the same offer—at this point, you weren’t so sure she’d turn it down.

“No vacancies. We can just wait in the lobby for now,” you relayed, steering her towards the waiting area. At least you would get it to yourself.

There were only two shabby couches facing each other, with peeling wooden legs and faded out green fabric. With a start, you noticed for the first time that it wasn’t empty after all.

There was someone sleeping with his legs stretched out on the floor in front of him, ankles crossed. His head slumped forward so that his red hoodie obscured his face, his arms folded against his chest. He was only as big as you or maybe a little taller. Strange. You hadn’t noticed any other cars parked outside.

“Is he with you?” Your sister whispered to Jaehyun, who had followed the pair of you and was suddenly looking around the lobby awkwardly, brows slightly furrowed. He shook his head no.

There was still water dripping from the ends of his hair. He must’ve noticed you unconsciously stare, because he said “I’ll go get us some towels” and went up a narrow set of stairs to their room. Johnny glanced up at him only for a second, before going back to playing with the cat on the counter. The cat squeezed itself past his hands and stalked away into the shadows somewhere.

Why was Jaehyun sitting in the car, if they already had a room with their things in it?

“She doesn’t like us very much,” Johnny said to himself, his tone light. You don’t know why your heart did a little jump. He was talking about the cat. Not you. Right?

That was a non-ideal time for him to look straight at you. But nevertheless he approached, and his quiet walk reminded you of the cat he had just been petting. When he got close enough that it made your body tense up, you were relieved that he didn’t stop and instead kept walking past you.

“Forgot something in the car,” he said to no one, and left the lobby.

A pang of guilt sounded in your chest. You knew you were coming off as stand-offish, but you had your set limits. Especially today.

Your sister had her back turned to you, and was observing a large, muted painting of a tall ship sailing through turbulent waters. There was an ornate but faded golden frame around it.

Reaching out for her hand, you opened your mouth to say something, and—

“Towels?” A smooth voice spoke up behind you, and you spun around so quickly that you almost twisted your neck.

“Aww, thanks!” Your sister took one and let it fall over your head before taking another for herself. That made Jaehyun laugh, twinkles in his eyes. Everything seemed to make him smile or laugh, like he didn’t have a care in the world.

You grabbed the towel off of your head and absentmindedly held it out to your sister until she took it, then you turned to follow Johnny out into the rain.

A cold hand gripped your arm, stopping you. Turning around, you saw Jaehyun’s pale face staring back at you. “You’re gonna catch a cold if you go out there again. Do you need me to get you something? Your roof is open anyway, so I don’t need your keys.”

Next to him, your sister was looking at you with a puzzled expression. You hoped your voice wouldn’t crack, and said “uh, no… No, nevermind, it’s nothing.”

“You okay?” Your sister put her arms around you. “Long day, huh,” she said, rubbing your back.

“Yeah.”

When Johnny came back, you noticed he didn’t have anything in his hands.

What did you forget in the car? You wanted to ask him. But you knew better than to share what was on your mind, with everyone around.

You cursed under your breath at Jaehyun, who was still buttering up to your sister. The curse wasn’t only for how stuck to her he was, or how taken she was with him. It was also for how despite that, he still wouldn’t let you follow Johnny outside.

Although you supposed you had yourself to blame for that, too. It’s not like he forced anything on you. But somehow, when he told you not to go, you felt rooted in place and could no longer do anything other than what he told you to do. Somehow, your body was under other people’s control more than it was under your own.

The whole past year, you had felt yourself slowly slipping—you had been at a war with yourself that went on for so long it left you only as a ghost of who you once were. A silent shadow etched onto the pavement you once sat on.

All the new activity must’ve been noisy, because the sleeping man (boy?) took a deep breath in, sat up, and stretched his arms out in front of him. When he looked up at the three of you and his big eyes caught the light, you decided it would be more accurate to call him “boy” rather than “man.” Wide, circular glasses framed his youthful but angular face.

He immediately looked away and awkwardly drummed his hands on his knees. His clothes were wet, but his hair was dry underneath his hoodie, so you guessed that he must’ve ran in just before your group did. Probably while you were all struggling with pulling the roof up.

“Hi there, storm messed with your plans, too?” Your sister scrunched her nose at him playfully. “Sorry if we woke you, by the way.” She was still rubbing your back.

“No, not at all! Um, I wasn’t actually sleeping or anything. I just ran in a few minutes ago, actually,” he said, “that storm really came out of nowhere! And there was nowhere else to stop… so, yeah.” he paused, then added “I’m Mark.”

You introduced yourselves, and Jaehyun asked if Mark wanted him to check the front desk for a towel for him.

“No, I’m okay, thank you,” he pulled his hood back and shook out his hair, running a hand down its front to calm it down. Something made you instinctively look to your side, and you caught Johnny quietly staring at Mark. His eyes looked different when he wasn’t smiling. He glanced back at you, and that blank expression disappeared just as quickly.

Johnny took that as a chance to address you. “Hey, could I talk to you for a second?” When you nodded, his hand brushed gently against your wrist and led you to a more private space.

“I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier.” He leaned into you, his voice soft. “It wasn’t my intention…”

“Don’t worry about it,” was all you could scrape together. You’d be lying if you said this hadn’t caught you off-guard. That being said, you still kept your defenses up. You were a naturally wary person. To be honest, you weren’t even sure what he was apologizing for.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, so…” You trailed off. You used to be so much better at talking.

“Didn’t I? Asking you to share a room with a stranger you barely just met,” he gave a soft laugh, and you could feel his warm breath on your face. Peppermint. Was it just you or was he closer now than when the conversation started?

Feeling the heat rising to your cheeks, you realized you needed to end this exchange soon—you weren’t ready for whatever this is. Willing yourself to continue, you said “you were just being considerate. I can understand that.”

“Is that so? Well, we’re in room two if you change your mind,” he countered, only half-joking, a glint of whatever you caught in his eyes earlier still there.

“But hey,” he said, as he reached to take his jacket off, “it’s chilly out here, so at least let me give you this.” He draped it over your shoulders and walked away, letting his reiterated offer hang without rejection.

* *

The rain outside was relentless. The gaps in the wood of the windows had the cold wind whistling through them, and rattled the glass rhythmically. It made your bones feel damp. Your sister had you wrapped in a tight hug both for her warmth and yours.

Quite the opposite from how you were feeling, these circumstances had her vibrating with excitement at all the possibilities. She adored movies where a random ensemble of characters were stuck together and had to find ways to get along.

Much to your sister’s disappointment (and your relief) Jaehyun and Johnny had went up to their room soon after that encounter. Thanks to the lack of Wi-Fi, she had spent her time so far pestering Mark out of boredom. As the conversation went on, he had loosened up and politely entertained her with whatever random topic she sprang on him.

It was just like your sister to quickly get people to open up to her wherever she went. But soon enough, even she was running out of things to talk about with Mark.

The pause in the conversation left enough room for your sister’s ears to perk up, picking up on the noise coming from down the hall. Considering the fairly small size of the rest stop, and the fact that you watched the two men walk into the room right across from the few steps leading up to the corridor, you could somewhat see their door from here if you strained your eyes hard enough at the dark.

The gap between the door and the floor told you that their lights were still on, and seeing the shadows moving around was the final push your sister needed to bounce up and practically skip there, dodging your desperate hands that clambered to pull her back down.

“Shh, I’m bored, I’ll just go see what they’re up to, that’s all!” She giggled. Your heart just threw itself against your ribcage miserably, in slow but heavy thumps. All the will in your legs escaping, you accepted that you probably wouldn’t be able to get yourself to stand up and follow her. You were under an invisible binding spell. So you and Mark watched her disappear down the short corridor.

She knocked a musical tone on the wood of their door, and it opened in no time, unleashing the light from their room and illuminating their silhouettes. Judging by the size of it, you guessed that it was Johnny. His head bobbed, going along with whatever she was saying to him.

He stepped aside, and your body tensed even more when you saw her go in. From here, it was hard to make out his features as he stood still, facing you. Was he looking your way? He held that position for a little longer before finally closing the door and drowning the corridor back in shadows, making it seem darker than it was before.

You couldn’t tear your eyes away from the corridor. It was as though everything stood still as you watched that door. Almost like all your surroundings shifted, steadily bringing you and that door closer, everything else around you disappearing.

Mark cleared his throat, asking “are you okay?”

That made you snap out of your hyper-focused state, sparing him a glace before returning it to the corridor. “I think so. Sorry.”

“Um… Do you wanna, like, go after her?”

You nodded, almost as though you were given validation to move. Just as you braced yourself to get up, the door opened again. The sight of Johnny stalking down the corridor and coming towards you made you stop, confused.

He sank down into the space next to you, casually flashing you a smile. “Hi again.”

You gave him a curt nod in reply, before impulsively shifting your gaze away. When your eyes found him again, through a great deal of effort on your part, they lingered this time. At that, his eyebrows went up inquisitively.

“Is everything okay?” He finally asked.

Before you could answer, you jumped at the sight of your sister already approaching you with Jaehyun on her tail. You really must’ve been out of it staring at Johnny…

As they maneuvered to find an empty spot to sit, the pair had ditzy smiles across their faces, and you could even see a hint of childish mischievousness.

“You won’t believe what Jaehyun here had in his suitcase,” your sister teased, both of her hands holding something behind her back. “Which was immaculately organized, by the way. But…” She pulled out a long rectangular box, and it took you a moment before you recognized that it was a Jenga tower. “Who the hell travels around with this thing?”

All four of them laughed at your sister’s presentation, and you felt like the odd one out for not having it in you to laugh along with them. Your sister plopped down in the space between Jaehyun and Mark, and began setting up the tower on the short coffee table that stood between the two couches.

“We might as well make use of it, right? You’re all playing,” she said. After that, it was mostly quiet as she finished working on it. It wasn’t plain wood like what you usually saw on TV, but instead with blocks tinted red and green.

“How about you go first?” You found your sister pointing at you excitedly. Now that she was guaranteed time spent together with everyone for at least the duration of one game, she was practically bouncing in her seat. And you knew perfectly well that she didn’t plan on letting it end after only one round.

“Let’s go!” Mark clapped, saying your name to hype you up.

You reached out and plucked an easy red block towards the top of the tower, which you were eager to set back on the very top to get everyone’s eyes off of you.

“Not so fast,” your sister said, finger twirling playfully in the air, urging you to pick the block back up. When you did, you noticed a line of small print on the underside of the block:

Whisper one of your deepest, darkest secrets to the person on your left.

Truth or dare. You never thought it was something that you would have to come across again as an adult. When participating was unavoidable, you had always defaulted to truths. But looking at it now, you concluded that the green blocks must be truth and the red ones must be dare. Although this one felt awfully a lot like both.

“Well?” She pushed, “read it aloud!”

“Whisper one of your deepest, darkest secrets to the person on your left,” you read, and Johnny perked up as he held his long hand up to his ear. Pathetically, your own hand shook as you leaned forward to set the block back.

“The darker the better,” Johnny winked at you.

“Oh. Well…” For starters, telling him anything personal was out of the question. What was something believable you could come up with on a whim? Finally, you leaned into him as close as you could get yourself to go (which wasn’t very close at all) and whispered “I cheated on my college final.”

“That’s all you got?” He feigned an expression of disbelief.

“That’s all I got.” You said, deflecting.

“You’re welcome to give us a dark secret of your own then, mister the darker the better,” your sister teased, earning a playful nudge from Jaehyun, who seemed to be enjoying driving Johnny into a corner.

“Oh, trust me, I have plenty,” Johnny’s tone was lighthearted, but your eyes met his and you caught that same look from before, lurking just beneath the surface. He didn’t look away, almost like he was pausing to savor your discomfort, so you broke eye contact first and cleared your throat.

“Mark, your turn.”

When you glanced up at Mark, you caught his eyes darting from you to Johnny. Too caught up in whatever was going on between you two, you had failed to notice that Mark was somehow under the same blanket of tension. Or at the very least, he was an observer. Had Johnny noticed?

Mark mirrored you in clearing his throat, then pushed a finger into a block towards the middle of the tower. A green one stuck out on the other side, and he reached around to take it. Truth.

“What is the most childish thing you still do?” He read.

“And try to limit it to one, kid,” Johnny stared ahead at Mark, his calculated smile delayed.

So he had noticed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mark said, although he was visibly trying to keep his tone light. Meanwhile, a laid-back Jaehyun still had his amused smile on as he watched Johnny. When Johnny didn’t comment, Mark moved past it and gave a half-baked answer to his prompt.

“Finally!” Your sister gave an exaggerated sigh, probably relieved to have the focus shifted away from Mark and Johnny’s strange tension. She went straight for a red block, picking out a dare. “Hm, dance with no music for one minute… See, no, that’s no way to treat the game master.”

“Game master?” Jaehyun echoed, grinning.

“Yep. You may be the landlord for packing the Jenga, but I dug the thing out, so I hereby officially declare myself game master. Everyone kneel—or actually, I’ll settle for some singing this time.”

Johnny held a conceding palm out to Jaehyun, who pondered for a moment before slipping into smooth singing. You weren’t surprised by how it sounded just as rich and smooth as his speaking voice did.

“I fall in love too easily,” he sang extra slowly, earning a smack on his shoulder from your sister for picking a ballad, followed by some passionate head-banging as she pretended to dance at a rock concert.

“I fall in love too fast,”—his voice broke at ‘fast’ as he held back his laughter—“I fall in love too terribly hard,”—it was getting harder for him to maintain his composure when Mark and Johnny didn’t share his reservations, with Mark clapping like a seal right next to him—”for love to ever last... Okay, okay, I think the minute is up. You’re gonna dislocate something.”

Out of breath, she flopped back down onto the couch, hands busy fixing her wild hair. “Your turn,” she panted to Jaehyun, “And don’t be lame. Dares only.”

“Okay, dare it is,” he laughed. Then proceeded to laugh even harder when he read out his dare. “Serenade the person of your choosing.”

Needless to say, of course your sister was serenaded twice in one night.

The game went on for a while, with Johnny, Jaehyun, and your sister routinely picking dares. The group would eventually get loud enough to warrant an occasional scowl from the old lady at the front desk, until it was late enough for her to call it a day and disappear into a door tucked away behind the counter.

Meanwhile, you and Mark had mostly stuck to truths, as the Jenga tower grew more and more unstable. It was Mark’s turn again when he picked yet another green block.

“Name one thing you’d do if you knew there would be zero consequences.” He read in a drowsy voice, going on to give a quick answer. “I don’t know, I guess I’d knock some snacks out of that vending machine. I don’t know why I said that, I wouldn’t actually do that. I really am getting kinda hungry, though…”

“Your mind went straight to burglary? You guys better watch your bags tonight,” Johnny said, and what you assumed was supposed to be a humorous jab came across a little too sharp-tongued. Everyone’s energy levels had been depleting over the past couple of hours spent on the lobby’s less than ideal couches.

“I’m sorry, do you have some kind of problem with me?” Mark retorted.

“I don’t know, should I?” Johnny said.

“Dude, if you have something to say to me, just say it.”

Your sister pushed herself off the couch. “Well, I’ll go use the bathroom until you guys figure this out like big boys.”

“Nice and condescending, yeah?” Johnny said, not bothering to look up at her as she retreated to their room.

Jaehyun hid his evident enjoyment long enough to hold both of his hands up and say “okay, guys, how about we take a break?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Johnny shot back, his face anything but. His demeanor was scarily calm throughout the entire exchange.

That cold atmosphere went on for the next few rounds. You hadn’t forgotten that you were merely attempting to get along with strangers you knew nothing about. Johnny with his two sides, all calculated smiles and concealed stares. Jaehyun with his eerily laid-back demeanor and strange enjoyment of the conflict. And Mark. You didn’t know what to think of him yet.

With the added tension, you stopped trying to look up at any of them.

Before you knew it, it was your turn again. Would this cursed game ever end? So far, you had exclusively picked truths and lied your way through all of them. Your eyes scanned the tower over several times, before you gave up finding a green block that was stable enough. You picked your second dare of the night, this time voluntarily.

Let the group look through your phone for one minute.

A whole host of reasons rushed through your mind at how bad of an idea that was. At the very least, they would know that the only contact on your phone was your sister. You had virtually no pictures, and no apps. Everything pointed to your ghost-like life, so empty and unremarkable that it was practically a burner phone.

“Well?” Jaehyun said.

“I don’t want to do this one.”

“It can’t be that bad, can it?” Johnny asked.

“She just told you she’s not comfortable with whatever it is, though.” Mark spoke up, having mostly kept his silence for the past few rounds.

Johnny reached for the block in your hand, and your body flinched involuntarily, the block flying out of your hand and skidding across the floor.

“Whoa,” Johnny hung back, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t gonna do anything.”

“I think you’re scaring her, Johnny.” Jaehyun said, his voice ominously quiet. Was there a hint of a smile in his voice? Were you imagining things?

“Am I?”

No one said anything for what felt like a long moment, until finally, as if on queue, your sister was back in the lobby.

“What did I miss?” She said, entirely missing the atmosphere of the room.

Johnny reached forward and tugged one of the legs the tower was supporting itself on. The entire thing came crashing down.

“Oh.” She stopped midway, hovering awkwardly next to them. “Okay then.”

“Good night.” Johnny said, getting up and giving you a brief pat on the head, before slowly making his way back to their room. Your scalp felt like pop rocks as you watched him walk away.

* * *

It was past midnight. Now it was just the two of you again, along with Mark. Your sister was sleeping soundly next to you, her head on your shoulder.

Mark was still awake on the couch across from you, but he was back to sitting quietly in the corner and avoiding eye contact. Save for the occasional accidental eye contact with you, which he responded to by sending a small smile your way before going back to aimlessly staring away.

His hands were curled around the warm thermos your sister had given him earlier. He set it down when the owner’s cat sauntered towards him, and patted his lap for it to come up. It deliberated for a moment, then jumped and curled up on him as he stroked it.

Your mind couldn’t help but go back to your interaction with Johnny, running it over in your head again and again until you had positively squeezed the life out of it. One minute he was cold and calculated, and the next he was the gentlemanly romantic lead. Or at least he knew how to make people perceive him that way.

You shivered—the weather was getting colder.

“Mm?” Your sister looked up at you, eyes barely able to open.

“It’s nothing, go to sleep,” you reassured her, then took the chance to get up now that her head was no longer resting on you.

The front desk was empty now, but you attempted to ring the bell on the counter anyway. A while of waiting made you accept that no one was coming. It was probably safe to assume the old lady ran this place by herself, and was most likely asleep by now.

You needed to go to the bathroom. A quick look around led you to a door with a sheet of paper taped to it, reading “Staff Only.” You twisted the doorknob, your guilt a second priority right now. Locked.

It might have been the hope of almost finding a bathroom, but suddenly your mild need for it turned into a more urgent one. You looked around some more, before cursing under your breath and going up the narrow staircase that led up to the rooms.

To your surprise, the hallway was very short. It was even darker than the lobby, so you gave your eyes some time to adjust. There were only three doors, the one in the center had a brass number 2 on it, and was right across from the staircase.

We’re in room two, if you change your mind, Johnny’s captivating voice played in your mind for what felt like the hundredth time. Feeling your heartbeat speed up again, you took deep breaths and willed yourself to calm down. The other rooms were under repair, but maybe their bathrooms weren’t.

First, you attempted to open the door with the brass 1 on it, but it didn’t budge. Then the one with the brass 3, but that one wouldn’t open either.

You clenched your fists and cursed your terrible luck. Would they even be awake?

After a lengthy struggle, consisting of an internal argument about whether you’d rather ask them for help or go out into the nearby wilderness in the middle of a storm, you knocked on the door of the second room.

As you waited, you glanced back down the stairs behind you, your eyes searching for your sister. She was now lying down on the couch, breathing deeply…

The door springing open made you jump, and Jaehyun was positively beaming in the center of the door frame. Following a quick scan, his smile faltered when he realized your sister wasn’t in tow.

He looked like he had just showered, his hair damp again, and his skin glowing. Johnny was stretched out on the bed behind him, awake.

“Welcome,” Jaehyun said, picking his spirit back up. “Did you change your mind?”

“No, but would you mind if I use your bathroom?” You died a little on the inside.

“Of course not, come in,” he made way for you, and you abandoned your last remaining shred of dignity as you sprinted to what you assumed was the bathroom. Jaehyun giggled behind you before you closed the door and finally got some privacy.

Despite being done, you stalled going back out, probably out of dread. You supposed it was in your favor that the bathroom was by far the cleanest place in the entirety of this pit stop. A quick look around told you that Johnny and Jaehyun were comfortably settled in. An electric shaver was strewn on the counter, and a travel-sized toothpaste tube lay feebly next to the sink, almost all used up. Peppermint.

Finally, you took a deep breath and opened the door. You were immediately met with Johnny, who was leaning on the wall by the bathroom, not even an arm’s length away. Behind him, Jaehyun was nowhere to be seen, and the door leading out of the room was closed.

Momentarily dizzied from the blood rushing to your head, you took a step back to create some distance.

He smiled sweetly, “the storm sure is taking a while to settle down. Where were you two on your way to, again?”

“Just a short trip. They’re expecting us back at work tomorrow.” You lied, knowing full well there was no one there who would notice your absence, save for your sister.

“Oh, you two work together? Jaehyun and I work together too, actually.”

His eyes watched you patiently as you flipped imaginary pages in your head, scrambling for something normal to say next. You felt like it would be the polite thing to do to continue the conversation, but your heart was beating too fast for that, which made you that much more nervous and jittery. Johnny seemed to be enjoying your visible anxiety. You weren’t sure if it was your imagination that his smile was getting wider. Something about it wasn’t so sweet anymore.

“I should get back. To the lobby, I mean. Thanks again.” He didn’t lock the door, did he? The nausea was creeping back up.

You speed-walked to the door like you used to do when you were little, when you were alone in the dark and scared of whatever thing that might snatch you and drag you away before you reached the light. You could only feel fear. Fear of how powerless you felt about everything.

It felt much longer than it should’ve but you reached the door. The hair on your neck stood and your breath quickened. You turned the knob, and it swung open.

In a hasty moment, you tripped at the first step of the stairs, and a big arm grabbed you around your waist. You could see Johnny’s profile in your peripheral vision, curling down for his cheek to meet the side of your head, slow breaths against your ear. His chest rose and fell gently against your back; he was holding on so tightly.

He felt like a solid wall, and you knew it was impossible for you to get away unless he was the one who chose to let go of you. He alone should’ve been able to pull up the car roof with ease.

“Back when we were playing that game,” he said, his voice so low you could barely hear it, “did you feel like I was gonna hurt you?”

What was he saying? You left his words unanswered as you were still engulfed by your silence.

From here, you could see that your sister was still sleeping peacefully, and Mark had his head turned away. Nevertheless, just having your sister in your sight helped soothe your nerves. That feeling was fleeting as Johnny spoke his next sentence.

“Are you scared of me?”

Trapped in what felt like an iron embrace, you opened your mouth but you still couldn’t make any noise come out. Some hunch or instinct, or maybe just pure chance, must’ve been what made Mark’s head turn your way out of nowhere.

He was staring for a while with an expression that told you he wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at. His eyes must’ve finally adjusted to the darkness of the hallway, because he suddenly got up, making the cat on his lap scuttle away offended.

“Dude, what are you doing?”

The entire building let out a groan, and whatever dim lights were there all blinked out simultaneously, plunging you into complete darkness. Johnny held on for a few more seconds before finally letting go. You ran down the steps without looking back.

Mark called your name, his voice alarmed, “is everything alright?”

Your throat was still squeezed shut, as you walked into something and stumbled in the dark until you felt your way to the couch your sister was on. Your hands found her sleeping from, and you shook her awake.

“Get up, we’re leaving,” finally finding your voice, you spoke sternly. She was still in a daze and clearly confused.

“Wha- what? What?”

“We’re leaving. I’m gonna call us a ride, I just need you to be awake with me,” you stammered. Your sister sat upright, most likely still processing.

Mark’s voice spoke up. “It’s pitch black outside, the roads around here aren’t lit very well. Did something happen? Are you okay?”

You couldn’t put it into words. The familiar dread that built up in your gut.

At this point, you just wanted to go home and shut yourself in again.

You ignored Mark, and ruffled through your bag for your phone. You went through every corner of it four times, your heart sinking deeper with each try. “My phone is gone. Where’s my phone?”

Without waiting for a reply, you tossed your bag aside and felt around for your sister’s this time. Also gone.

“Wait, mine’s not there either? That’s weird…” Your sister went through hers again for good measure, her voice thick with sleep. “Do you think we left them in the car?”

“No, I always have mine on me.” Something suddenly occurred to you. “I was awake the whole time, wasn’t I?”

You felt your sister shrug next to you. Hesitantly, Mark answered instead, saying “I don’t know, you both kinda drifted off at some point.”

“And you? You were awake?” You pushed.

“I was, yeah. I went to check on my Vespa for a second.” You couldn’t quite grasp what it was, but something was off about Mark’s voice.

Paranoia now had you firmly in its grip. You decided it was best to watch your words until you could see again. But you couldn’t stop a wave of helplessness from washing over you, making your limbs go cold.

“Could we borrow your phone, maybe?” You asked Mark. One final attempt.

“Oh, man, I sent it for repairs this weekend,” Mark said, apologetic. Why did his voice sound like that?

“Let’s go.” Resolute, you grabbed your sister’s arm and attempted to head towards the exit.

“Just give me a minute!” She said, releasing her hand from yours. “You go on and get the car started, okay?”

You hesitated, before making up your mind and following the only source of light, out into the storm.

The rain immediately battered down on you, and if you thought it was cold in the lobby then this was absolutely freezing. You could only barely make out the silhouettes of the parked cars.

If you just turned on the headlights all the way, the two of you could probably drive through the dark. And if you kept moving, the rain wouldn’t bother you. You had the keys ready in your hands, and you were grateful that at least they were still in your sister’s bag. Maybe you really did forget your phones in the car, after all.

But something was squirming in your gut, making your stomach do desperate flips as you jumped into the driver’s seat, slamming the door behind you.

You slid the key in the ignition and turned. Nothing. Not even the sound of the engine trying to start. The sounds of the howling wind and heavy rain carried on.

Reaching for the glove compartment, your hands found the flashlight, and a weak beam of light pierced its way through the darkness. You stepped out of the car, wrapping your other arm around yourself to stop from shaking. When the hood of your car was open and you shined the light at its interior, you doubted your eyes.

The battery was gone.

You were just silent. Your own worse fears coming into realization right before your eyes. After what felt like a second and an eternity of staring down at the empty spot in the hood, you felt a light touch on your arm when your sister joined you by your side. She looked exhausted, her breathing heavy. Calling over the storm, she said, “should we ask them if they can do something about this?”

Your head snapped to her in bewilderment. Could you be wrong? You doubted yourself for a second, but then got a grip back. There was no other explanation. You were stuck here, and it was too late to speak up. The words collided into themselves and were left mangled somewhere in your throat. But you had to say something, anything.

“Listen,” you started, and she looked at you attentively, concern clouding her face, “I think—”

“Is something wrong?” A voice spoke up from behind you. Jaehyun. Again.

“We were just talking about you!” Your sister chimed. “Take a look at this. Think someone stole it?”

You were dumbfounded as he leaned in between the two of you to take a closer look at the car’s contents.

“Mmm,” he didn’t look very surprised. He turned to your sister and said “we can give you a ride tomorrow morning. You might need to get it towed.”

“Okay... I can barely hear you. Let’s go inside?” She turned to you. Your face must’ve looked terrible because she did a slight double take and put her hand on your shoulder. “Come on.”

Shining the flashlight ahead, the three of you walked back to the rest stop.

When you were back inside, Mark was gone.

* * * *

At least an hour must’ve went by until Johnny was back. He didn’t acknowledge anyone as he came in, just silently sauntering past the lobby. He was completely soaked again from head to toe. Drops of dark water trailed behind him as he made his way back to their room.

You resolved that you would find a way to take your sister and leave any way you could. Maybe you would find a way to take their car. They were only human, they had to sleep sometime.

For now, Jaehyun was still in the lobby with the both of you.

“You don’t think he took our car battery and our phones, do you?” She was talking about Mark. Your sister was sitting next to Jaehyun and mostly addressed him, since she hadn’t gotten a word out of you after you failed to leave. Having Jaehyun hovering around took away any of your will to speak up.

“He didn’t seem like the type…” She trailed off, still thinking about Mark.

The night felt longer, probably because of the changing seasons, but it might as well still have been midnight. You lost track of how much time was going by and doubted yourself when you remembered that this has all been just one long day. The power was still out. You had the flashlight off to conserve its battery.

Down the hall, you heard the room open, and after a minute you felt the cushions next to you gently sink with a familiar weight.

“I found some candles and lit them in our room,” Johnny’s voice spoke up. You could only see his outline and features like a hazy dream. You avoided looking at his face. You were too tired.

There was a soft, dancing reddish light coming from their room now. Gently, Johnny spoke again. “It’s too dark out here, isn’t it? Let’s go inside.”

Your sister shifted, and you noticed for the first time how close she had been sitting to Jaehyun. Were they holding hands? You didn’t know if your mind was playing tricks on you. She got up before your eyes could decide what they were looking at.

“I need to wash up,” she said, sounding just as tired as you felt. Getting up, you followed her to their room. You couldn’t care less if you looked completely unhinged, sitting on the floor right in front of the bathroom door after she closed it.

“You two are so close,” Johnny spoke though the dark, face hidden in the shadows cast by the candle light. You still refused to look up at him, but you could hear the tone of amity. The candles on the night stand behind him exaggerated the size of his shadow and made it dance over you.

“You look tired,” his voice was gentle, surreal, “get some rest.”

You hugged your knees closer to your chest, fighting to keep your eyes open. The sound of the water running in the bathroom was steady. Your eyes kept rolling back into your head, and you kept dragging them back into focus…

But they were so unfocused…

And the steady stream of the shower ran…

And everything swayed in the candle light…

Everything swam…

and the water ran…

and ran…

You dreamed that Johnny was carrying you and wading through a crimson sea. Gently. Gently.

You were floating in crimson.

Or was he the one floating?

Daylight. Your body woke up with a jolt, eyes snapping open. The first thing that screamed out at you was how incredibly sore your body was. It must’ve been from all the tension that you had built up. You were curled up on your side, holding your own body close.

Small mountains of white sheets were piled up around you, and strips of sunlight draped over the bed and made their way to your skin. It was so silent; last night’s storm almost felt like a distant dream.

Moving excruciatingly slow, you lifted your head and looked around. Your heart hammering in your chest when you saw that Johnny was sleeping over in the other bed, his large frame rising and falling slowly with each breath.

The bathroom door was open, and you could see from here that it was empty, too. It was only the two of you in this room.

Logically, you knew that there was still a possibility that Jaehyun and your sister chose to sleep on the couches outside. But there was a pit in your stomach that crippled you. It made it hard to move. Hard to think.

As quietly as you had it in you to move, you left the bed. The cold floor against your feet made you notice for the first time that you were barefoot. Good. With quiet footsteps, you made your way to the bathroom to double-check. The floor was wet under your feet, like someone had walked in from the lobby straight to the bathroom not that long ago.

But just like you suspected, it was empty. The curtains drawn shut over the bathtub caught your eyes, but one look at the material told you that it would be too noisy to try and move it right now. It was too quiet for anyone to be sleeping there, anyway.

You turned back towards the bedroom door, taking glances behind you to make sure Johnny was still asleep. You didn’t take your eyes off of him as your hand gripped the doorknob and turned it. It opened without resistance, and you peeked outside at the lobby past the staircase. Empty.

Trying to slow your breaths and breathe more quietly only proved to make things worse for you. It was as though you were running out of air. Before you could give your brain more time to panic, despite your overwhelming instinct to just run out and start calling for your sister, you walked back towards Johnny, who looked so peaceful in his sleep that your own panicked state was almost laughable.

At this point, you must’ve gone out of your mind, because suddenly you found yourself fighting the urge to laugh. You were hysterical. You had to stop and put your hands over your face, as your body shook with silent laughter, but tears started to stream down your face.

Thoughts of your sister were racing through your mind. Maybe she really was cuddling up to Jaehyun last night. Maybe they went somewhere together. Maybe she thought she’d be back before you woke up.

But you knew deep down that she wouldn’t leave you behind. You were so convinced of that, that any what ifs you tried to feed to your worry, to keep it from consuming you, just felt forced.

You knew she wouldn’t leave you because she knew how fragile you were after what happened last year. You were so fragile, you saw everything through the lens of a horror movie. With your own little cast of strangers.

Something caught the light just outside of your line of vision, halting your chaotic train of thought. Your hands wiped away any tears that lingered on your eyelashes so you could see more clearly. There, carelessly tossed away on the nightstand by his bed, a set of keys were reflecting the sunlight. Among them was a car key.

Well, if you really were crazy, then you might as well see where it led you.

The closer you came to Johnny, the harder it was to breathe. Until you couldn’t bear to do anything but hold your breath. Finally, when the keys were within your reach, your hand closed around them. There was only the slightest sound of scraping against the wood of the nightstand.

With no time for you to worry about the sound the keys had just produced, Johnny’s hand shot up and grabbed your wrist. But it didn’t stop. His grip got tighter and tighter until the ends of his fingers yellowed, and your hand shook and dropped the keys with a clatter. Even so, he didn’t release his grip.

“Where were you gonna go?” He spoke slowly.

“It depends—where’s my sister?” You shot back, voice shaking.

He laughed quietly. He had a gentle laugh. Finally letting go of your wrist, his hand instead brushed through his hair. “I told her you might get worried. You must’ve gotten a scare… Sorry about that.”

You turned to him with an inquisitive look, hanging onto his words. He looked sleepy and relaxed, his hair tousled. Not like someone who almost broke your wrist less than a minute ago.

“Jaehyun told me about all our phones going missing, and your car battery. That Mark might’ve made away with them or something. He and your sister went to pick up a new one.” He explained. And as you listened, your heart sank.

“Okay. Please take me to her, then.”

“You know, I think they wouldn’t have minded some time alone, too,” he chuckled, “but sure, if you’re so worried. I’ll take you.”

Passing through the lobby, you noticed the old lady was back at the front desk. Were you brave enough to finally say something? Everything in your body screamed at you not to, straining your muscles into place.

Your heartbeat quickened, and you used any strength you had left and turned to approach her. Before you could go on, you felt Johnny’s hand hold onto your upper arm and pull you closer, wrapping you into a hug by his side.

“Let’s not waste any time,” he whispered, and held on as he led you all the way out of the rest stop. He only let go of you when you were in the shadow cast by his giant car.

The day you stopped for the car picnic, you had parked farther away on the left side of it, but as you approached the other side of his car this time, you saw what had been obscured by the SUV. A turquoise Vespa came into view.

Mark’s.

Seeing it sent goosebumps down your back and up your neck, but you dragged yourself away. You couldn’t afford to comment on it right now, not to Johnny. You would talk to your sister when you saw her…

A sting creeping into your eyes warned you of incoming tears, but you blinked them away rapidly, not ready to face a possible reality. When you saw your sister, you would tell her everything you had on your mind and you wouldn’t care who might be listening in.

Johnny was making his way to the driver’s side when you spoke up abruptly, before you could help yourself. “One more thing?”

“What is it?”

“I just want to get something from the car. My sister’s car.”

“Go ahead,” he leaned an arm over the car roof as he waited for you.

In the trunk, a few thermos flasks were stacked neatly to the side, with small labels taped to them, reading “12” and “24” and “48.” Your sister had always been meticulous when it came to packing. This would be all you had of her with your right now. You found the one labeled with the number twelve, and hugged it close to your chest. Twelve would do.

For now, you walked with your own two feet right to what felt like your doom, and hoisted yourself up into his car. A second after you got in, all the locks snapped shut.

* * * * *

He drove with the two of you in silence for a while, his eyes focused on the road, one hand on the steering wheel. You were getting farther and farther away from the rest stop, in a stranger’s car, your sister nowhere in sight.

Reality finally crashed into your chest like an icy wave. The tears you were holding back fell down your cheeks, making your chest heave in small, irregular breaths.

Incoherent thoughts raced through your head, and you started hyperventilating, your seemingly never-ending tears threatening to choke you.

“Hey, hey,” Johnny reached his other hand out, the one that wasn’t on the steering wheel, and brushed his long fingers against your face, lulling you, “deep breaths. In… out… that’s right. Just like that. In… out…”

Your rattled breathing slowed, your mind halted.

He didn’t turn your way once, his cold stare on the road, face expressionless. But his voice was gentle. Effortlessly soothing. If you looked hard enough at his face, maybe you could find something you wanted to find. Maybe it wasn’t cold. Maybe he was just tired.

“What are you so afraid of? You’re safe. Everything’s going to be okay.”

He sounded so reassuring that for a long moment you doubted that anything out of the ordinary had happened today. Maybe you were just imagining everything. Maybe your isolation had finally gotten to you.

You were glad someone kind like Johnny was here to look after you.

Taking his outstretched hand into your own, you nestled your face into his palm and closed your eyes.

“Good girl,” he said.

That was the last thing he said for a while.

Hours must have passed by the time you realized you had fallen asleep out of exhaustion. Orange hues now stretched across the sky in broad strokes, clouds almost dissipated. Next to you, Johnny was still silently driving, soaked in the orange light. Everything was so saturated, it looked like a painting.

“How did Jaehyun leave without his car?” You asked, your voice coming out small.

“This is my car,” Johnny said. “But we came with two. I told you, we work together.”

“Oh.” Somehow, the more time you spent with them, the more you didn’t have it in you to know more about them. Ask about their life or what they did for a living.

“You know, I had this car modified. It’s sound proof. And bullet proof, even.”

“Hm.”

The silence was strangely comfortable now. You closed your eyes and leaned your head back on the headrest.

“You cold?” He asked.

“No.” You said, your hands unconsciously pulling in his jacket tighter around your frame. “I never thanked you for giving me your jacket… Here. I want you to have this,” you handed him the warm thermos. The last thing you had of your sister’s.

Somehow, you felt like everything would be okay. Just like he said it would be. He gave a grateful smile and took slow mouthfuls from the flask, as you watched the sun outline him through his window.

The trees that were scattered more sparsely before now gathered into denser bunches the farther along the road he drove. Before you knew it, you were driving into the middle of a forest thick with pine trees. The car rocked left and right underneath you as the ground grew wilder. At some point, all directions started looking identical.

Eventually, the car slowed into a stop and he cut the engine. You were surrounded by nothing but trees, in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. “Get out,” Johnny said, not looking your way.

The silent bubble you were in was broken by a rush of cold wind when he opened his own door, stepping out. Following him out into the forest, the smell of pine twined with the cold air seeped into your lungs. The silence was only broken by the sound of Johnny’s and your shoes against the vegetation.

Your body felt so heavy with sleep, it only exaggerated your dream-like state of mind. The orange light of the sunset warmed you to your core. You were the calmest you’ve been in a very long time, as you followed him deeper and deeper into the forest.

“Where are we?” Your own voice sounded jarring against the silence.

“Jaehyun likes it here. It’s quiet, and there are no eyes around. I’m just making a guess that they made a stop here.”

The trees parted and the sea revealed itself for the first time. It had been years since you were this close to it, and the air coming through over the water felt nice on your face.

Johnny had stopped walking ahead of you, and you were now the one in the lead. You stopped as soon as you got to the edge of the water, staring down at the crimson ripples.

There was a trail in the sand that looked awfully a lot like something heavy had been dragged away, back towards the thick of the trees.

“Why are we here, Johnny?”

Johnny’s arms reached around from behind you, slowly, wrapping you into a snake-like embrace, his broad hands curling around your frame. His movement was tentative, like he was giving you a chance to pull away.

It was quiet for a while before either of you said anything.

“Back when we were playing that game,” he repeated, before stopping to recollect his thoughts, and starting again, “look, I know I haven’t known you for long. But this whole time, I was watching you, you know.”

“It’s just… Something about you seems off,” he continued, “You’re scared of everything. And there’s the way you walk all folded into yourself… I wasn’t sure at first. I thought maybe you were just having a bad day. Then I thought maybe that guy Mark was bothering you or something. Until you flinched at me like I was gonna hurt you.”

For the first time, nerves were evident in his voice, “like… I don’t know, like that’s something you’re used to. Like you’re in trouble… Or you’re trying to hide from it.” He paused to take a shaky breath, his words dripping with uncertainty, his voice odd. Just like Mark’s had been.

“You seemed like you’ve been trying to say something these past couple of days. No one is around here right now, you can talk to me. Whatever is going on with you, I think I can help.”

You kept your eyes ahead of you, watching the sea. There was nothing you could say or do now. You understood now that last year’s events had their claws on you too deep to shake off. You were a haunted house.

Like how he had been holding you back at the corridor, his embrace lingered. But this time, he let it linger indefinitely. It was comfortable.

You don’t know how long the two of you just stood there in silence. Over time, his grip loosened just a little but kept hold. Then it loosened more, until it completely slipped away from you. There was a loud thud behind you when he hit the ground, but you didn’t turn around. Caught on watching the crimson ripples for a moment longer.

You still had twelve hours.

That would be enough.

When you finally turned around to face his slumped body, your eyes didn’t go up to scan the forest. Instead, you trained all of your focus on Johnny, because you knew everything counted on these next coming moments. Because you couldn’t let things end like they did last time.

Getting down on your knees, you pushed his heavy body until he was flat on his back. Then you put your hands around his neck and squeezed.

You knew how hard you needed to do it to cut off someone’s air supply. How long you needed to keep it cut off until it was too late. So you knew your limits perfectly well, and how to do it just enough to be convincing. Just enough not to really hurt him.

And when your hands finally withdrew from his neck, you stayed perfectly frozen in place, not moving a muscle or making a sound until you could make sure that he was drawing the shallowest of breaths again.

Finally, your hands roamed his pockets until you found his car key. Your grip wrapped around it tightly.

A rustle and the crunching of leaves told you that your spectator had finally come out of hiding. The crunching stopped as your sister walked onto the sand of the small beach. She was scanning your face carefully. In her hand, a long metallic baseball bat.

“I almost thought you wouldn’t be able to do it.” She said, proud.

“You told me I would develop a taste for it sooner or later.”

“And I guess I was right, huh,” she teased, nothing different from the usual way she spoke. She didn’t let go of the baseball bat as she raced towards you and drew you into a big hug. “I’m so proud of you. I can’t believe it’s finally happening! We’ll be so good together!”

Your body tensed up, and she withdrew to look at your face. “Something wrong?”

“No! No. I’m just… tired.” You pulled her back into the hug, spinning your bodies ever so subtly. Shifting her view away from Johnny.

“You’re acting weird. Are you mad at me?” She said.

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“You could barely stand looking at me after last time.”

You mustered up everything in you to stop your voice from wavering. “Because it was my first time ever seeing anything like that. There was… so much blood. There was so much blood on you, I would see it again in my mind every time I looked at you.”

She drew away from you again to give you an understanding look, before saying “Well, now you can do things your own way. No blood. Right?”

“Right.”

“We’re in this together, right?” She beamed at you. You nodded in a silent reply.

“You’re avoiding my eyes again,” her face dropped into a cold stare almost instantly.

“I’m not… I told you, I’m just tired. I wanna go home.”

“I know I promised we wouldn’t do anything this time… But you know I can’t keep doing this alone. It just doesn’t feel the same. We’ve always done everything else together, and I wanted you to finally accept this side of me.

"You accept it now, don’t you? You just did it, too. You just killed someone! We’re the same now,” her eyes were shining as she kept filling the silence. “How did it feel?”

“It felt… It- it felt,” you stuttered, “I was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life. I want to go home now. Please?” You felt the urge to throw up, which you held down by swallowing your bitter saliva repeatedly.

Thoughts of Jaehyun and Mark weighed heavy on your mind, and thoughts of what she would do if she noticed Johnny’s shallow breaths made your body start shaking out of your control.

“Wow, you’re really taking this hard. Shhh,” she held you to her side, supporting you back into the woods, “it’s okay. It’s okay…”

“Is Jaehyun here? Is he somewhere in this forest?”

“He is.” Her reply was curt.

“And Mark?”

“Poor baby…” she cooed like she was talking about a wounded puppy, “he followed me right out into the storm. So eager to help. After I was done with him, he had to spend the night out in the rain. I had to lay his body in the bathtub the morning after, early enough while you were all sleeping.”

“Oh.” Bathtub… Bathtub…

You left her with him. Why did you leave?

“Anyway, we’ll need to actually go get a battery now. I don’t think the one I took out is usable anymore.”

“Hm.”

“Which car do you wanna take back? I got Jaehyun’s keys. It’s a pretty nice car. He had good taste in music, too.”

Had… You were the one who agreed to stay at the rest stop.

And it cost two people their lives.

Your step faltered. “Johnny’s.”

She side-eyed you, “you’re talkative. Okay then, lead the way.”

It felt as though your blood had entirely escaped your body by the time you were back by the car. The keys were clutched so tightly in your hand that you wouldn’t have been surprised if they drew blood. You doubted that you would’ve felt it right now.

“Can I drive?” You asked.

“Ooh. Are you sure?”

“I think so.”

She gave you a proud look once again, and she threw the baseball bat into the car before she finally got into the passenger seat. You, on the other hand, had been pretending to circle around to the driver’s side after having used the remote control key to activate the locks. Ten more seconds before deadlock would be activated.

Nine… You walked as slowly as you could, but not slow enough to draw any suspicion.

Eight… What would happen to her if you turned her in?

Seven… What would happen to Johnny if you didn’t? And every other person after?

Six… She said she wanted you two to be together. You would be. You were just as guilty.

Five… You were positive that these were the longest ten seconds of your life. Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

Four… Your eyes betrayed you as they stole a worried glance at her.

Three… She held your eyes for a moment, before you watched a slow change in her expression.

Two… Her eyes went wide, realization dawning on her face. She lunged at the door, and—

One.

You couldn’t hear her screams as she thrashed at the door handle, shouting something at you. Then, all at once, she stopped. There was a crazed expression on her face as she pulled out her baseball bat. She waved at you before pointing at it, giving you a wild smile.

Your heart sank. Your knees weakened under you and made you slump to the ground like a rag doll, using your arms to brace yourself against the soil of the forest.

It was over.

You had ruined everything.

Of course it wouldn’t have worked.

You betrayed her.

What were you thinking?

She swung the bat at the window by the passenger’s seat, and you couldn’t do anything but watch in stunned silence as she bounced right against the glass. Coming back for a more charged swing than the one before it, she bounced back as harshly as she had swung.

And then you remembered why you couldn’t hear her screams one bit from out here. Johnny had modified the car. It was soundproof. Bulletproof.

You scampered away from the car, your legs still refusing to carry you. She wasn’t giving up, baseball bat bouncing off the glass over and over again. When she finally stopped, staring into your eyes like an animal whose leg got caught in a bear trap, your heart hammered so loudly that it was all you could hear.

Please, she mouthed at you.

She was bargaining.

You weren’t sure which stage weighed heavier on you, this or the anger from earlier. She dropped the bat and splayed both of her hands against the glass.

Her eyes were so wide, so scared, that you had to fight the urge to run back to her and unlock the door. She was all you had. Your sister, your best friend. You only had each other.

But you knew that more than anything you could give her, she needed help. And you needed help. If you went on living like this for any longer, you were sure you would only lose your mind more and more. That was if you hadn’t already lost it.

You took a deep breath and looked her squarely in the eyes, then you shook your head no.

Her face broke down into a silent sob as she slapped her hands at the unmoving glass. Crying for the freedom she knew she had just lost. Grieving for it.

Then you were reminded that the stages of grief weren’t always linear. Because just as quickly, she was back to anger, and your hand went up over your mouth as you watched her bang her head against the glass.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Maybe she was hoping you would let her out before she hurt herself too much. And then it dawned on you that this wasn’t anger. This was really just her final bargain.

You couldn’t do anything but sob quietly to yourself as you watched your sister. Before long, she grew sloppier and swayed against the glass until she finally gave out and collapsed.

Turning away, you walked back to where you had left Johnny, and followed the trail you had spotted earlier in the sand. Where it looked like someone had been dragged away.

Surely enough, Jaehyun was at the end of that trail, propped up under one of the thicker trees. His face was pale and peaceful, his back leaning against the tree as though he were sleeping. Your movements stuttered as you approached him.

Getting a grip on either side of his face, you pulled him forward. One look at the back of his head was enough to tell you that it was too late for him. You cried for the lives ruined and lost because of one reckless decision.

The more your adrenaline tapered off, the more your muscles reminded you of how sore you were, and the more the hammering of your headache increased. What now?

Call the police? None of you had your phones.

Drive back to the rest stop and do it from there? Your sister had the keys to Jaehyun’s car. The thought of unlocking the car and attempting to get the keys from her unconscious body spiked a horrible fear in you that you couldn’t possibly face right now.

Getting on your knees next to Johnny, you lied down on the sand and watched him as he slept.

You wondered if his neck would bruise, and whether he would be as sore as you were when he woke up.

You wondered how many hours were left until the sedative from the flask weakened in his system.

You wondered what he would do when he finally woke up.

You wondered about what kind of person he was, and whether he would still help you after he found out how much trouble you were really in.

When you noticed the first signs of his understanding, you were nothing short of terrified. The past year felt incredibly lonely. But the thought of someone finding out about the burden you carried was frightening.

You had never taken a life, but you were there when your sister did—and you were too damaged to say anything about it. All you had in you to do was shut yourself away from the world and live the life of someone who had died a year ago.

And as you wondered many things, your eyelids grew heavy. From here, it almost looked like Johnny was floating on the surface of the crimson sea. So you watched him and watched him until you couldn’t anymore.

This work is fictional and for entertainment purposes only, but is licensed and protected under a creative commons attribution-noncommercial-noderivatives 4.0 international license. Any instances of plagiarism will be dealt with accordingly. Do not re-post or translate without my permission.

#nct #nct 127 #nct x reader #sfw #johnny suh #johnny x reader #johnny fic #nct fanfic #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct thriller #nct horror #nct angst #johnny scenarios #johnny imagines #johnny suh angst #my first fanfic #new to tumblr

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yutafrita · 2 years

Text

Through the Webs- CHAPTER TWO

“And through it all, I will fearlessly love you."

Sungchan x Reader (y/n pronouns are she/her)

[Feat. all members of blackpink, ensemble of nct members]

Chapter Warnings: Bad mental health facilities, poor depictions of mental health, mild gore, psychological horror elements.

Chapter Word Count: ~6.5K

Through the Webs Master List

Tag List! @nini0620 @maleegayuh if you want to be added just send an ask or comment <3

Chapter Two

The crowded restaurant spread out over four different tables was how the group decided was best to meet. It was in an area downtown near where everyone’s day job was without any of Capsik’s higher up henchmen. They all agreed that until the plan was fully implemented, it would be best to not have everyone missing in the underground for too long, lest they attract attention. Most of their faces were moderately known to the public (thanks to them being televised once a week), which is why Sungchan had tied his hood all the way up, and watched a Rosé struggle with an orange wig and sunglasses looking through the menu.

“You get the same thing everytime,” Doyoung huffed, leaning his head against the short divider that separated their row of booths from the ones next to them. He was hardly audible over the boisterous restaurant crowd.

“Well, maybe I want something new... Anyways I’ll have a stack of pancakes,” she decided, falling back to what she always got. The waitress nodded, not looking up from her notepad before she walked away, having already taken the other two orders.

“All right, let’s hear it,” Sungchan spoke up now, not enough to draw more attention from the rowdy patrons, but enough for the two other booths next to them to grunt in agreement.

“Any new observations?” Sungchan asked.

“According to the notes, treatment this week has been more harsh than usual,” it was Renjun’s voice. Sungchan looked up and around at the restaurant, noting that all seemed clear before he knocked on the divider, allowing for Renjun to continue. “A lot of yelling and taunting. A guard even shoved one and three.”

Sungchan gulped. He was infuriated at the image of one of those horrible people laying a hand on you. You were already going through enough on the drugs you were all being forced to take and the mental torture the faux therapists conducted. Now, knowing that the guards and nurses were resorting to physical violence… Sungchan tightly gripped the salt shaker in his hand to calm down. He couldn’t see Kun, but he could imagine the irritation he felt knowing that his nephew was shoved down too.

“I was able to figure out where the bio trackers were,” Taeyong jumped in, likely earning him a rough arm punch and a small ow was heard. “I meant… the maps. The maps are located on the wrists,” he quickly corrected. Previously Sungchan had decided saying trackers in public was a bit risky, and maps was the code word they all agreed on.

“How do you know?” Doyoung asked, pausing as Sungchan looked around, and then knocked to affirm that the coast was indeed clear of anyone listening in.

“Earlier this week, three was complaining of an intense pain in his wrist. We saw a light flash on their wrist before that camera cut out. It goes with the information I gathered months ago,” Taeyong sounded proud, and although Sungchan struggled a bit to hear his brother, the point was clear- it was time.

“So, is phase three ready to be executed?” Lisa asked, her voice louder than everyone else's, which earned a few glances from nearby patrons. Sungchan knocked twice, and a hush fell as each booth pretended to speak amongst themselves for a few minutes to help dissipate any additional attention.

During the pause and the random nods he gave to Doyoung and Rosé, he mulled over the current conditions. Kun has had getaway vehicles prepared for months, Lisa and Jennie had organized the proper equipment a few weeks back, Renjun and Taeyong had managed to collect all necessary data and technology. Phase two, albeit a hefty phase, was indeed completed.

“Commence phase three,” Sungchan announced, earning small sounds of glee.

“When do you execute your part?” Kun asked, and Sungchan could almost hear the smirk in his voice. Sungchan winced.

“The next time they allow us in.”

“God knows when that’ll be,” Rosé huffed, drawing lines with her finger on the table. A pause again as Sungchan looked around, again sending one knock on the divider.

“According to my observations, it’ll be soon,” Taeyong comforted.

“So everyone else’s duties commence a week from when I execute my task,” Sungchan confirmed. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, when are we getting running water back?” Jennie’s question was pointed at Yangyang, whom Sungchan saw from the corner of his eye scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Sorry about the wait, I just got what we needed. It’ll be fixed by the end of the week,” Yangyang promised. Yangyang was pretty handy with a wide array of things, but being able to gather items and sneak them into the underground sometimes made it difficult for the group’s repair man to do his job, especially when they’d have to wait on the group’s smuggler, Renjun, to collect certain items.

“Perfect,” Jennie seemed satisfied with this answer, and after another pause, Sungchan knocked three times, adjourning the meeting of the week just as the waitresses returned with everyone's orders.

Sungchan was more nervous than he’d let anyone know, especially considering the stakes weighing down on him. He glanced up at the corner TV in the bar, the one playing the livestream of you all in the asylum. The former mafia leader turned mayor-by-force was smart: not killing you all, but rather keeping you all alive to be psychologically tortured for the city to see, did a good job of murdering the spirit of most people.

Most people, that was.

Sungchan always said he’d pay you back for saving his life somehow, and this plan would certainly help fulfill his debt.

---

This had been a particularly painful week.

In the morning, the nurses were a bit more aggressive giving you your medications. In group therapy sessions, the doctors took to painfully articulating each of your diagnoses on repeat and seeming to want to assure that you all felt horrible about yourselves. They took away your copy of Transformers 3, leaving you only with Italian Lion King. It was individual therapy that was the worst, each session forcing you to sob under your bed afterwards.

So, seeing Sungchan at the end of that week, carried a particularly special weight to it.

That week, visits were oddly scarce. They were never quite organized or planned to begin with, but usually before Sunday cleanups, you’d see Sungchan at least twice. Yet, it had been several excruciating days, and none of you were getting any of your visits- completely throwing off Jisoo’s guesses in the process.

Finally, you were properly handcuffed and sitting in the visiting room, your leg bouncing in anticipation. Taeil and Jaemin were in the room too, also trying to contain their excitement as you all waited on that red light to glow.

Taeil in particular was pleased, as he was allowed a white board to communicate only during his weekly visits, and as you waited, you watched as he began scribbling down whatever it was he seemed to be holding in his head.

The light glowed red then, a buzz filling the room as the door opened. The first one you recognized as Taeil’s visitor. It was tough sometimes to speak with Taeil, but whenever you could get him to communicate in some way, asking who his visitors were didn’t top your list usually. After that, in walked Jaemin’s uncle, earning a small cheer from Jaemin.

There was a pause, and you started to fiddle with your fingers as your chest swelled with nerves. What if the guards brought you in by mistake? It could very well happen. The door started closing, and you felt your eyes well with tears. That was, until a hand reached forward, stopping the door and entering the visitor room with the brightest smile and the scarf you made him.

“Hi, sorry I had to tie my shoelaces,” Sungchan lifted his foot once he approached the table, showing the hastily knotted shoe.

“I’m just glad to see you,” a smile you hadn’t felt in over a week graced your face as you watched him sit down. He had on a bulky coat along with the scarf, his cheeks and hands a soft red as they were chapped with the cold. “Have you been busy?”

He seemed taken aback by your direct question. He stuttered, glancing behind you as he formed his answer, “There was a storm during the week. I would have come here sooner if not for that, I promise.”

“No, it’s okay! I’m just glad to see you’re okay,” you had to stop yourself from reaching forward to hold his hands. You wanted to reassure him as much as possible, but you knew that the guard would likely remove you if you did.

“You know that I care about you, right? That you’re my priority?” his eyes widened, and you felt his leg rapidly fidget under the table, his knees knocking the bottom every second.

“I… I guess?” you didn’t know how to respond. It was an odd feeling. On the one hand, you were absolutely elated to hear that he thought of you as a priority beyond just visiting you throughout the week, but on the other, the way he said it felt as if it carried a different weight to it. One you didn’t quite understand.

Sungchan bit his lip, looking down at his own interlocked fingers before he spoke again, “the weather has been tough.”

You furrowed your eyebrows, completely perplexed by his weird tone change and overall demeanor. He glanced again at the guard before looking back at you, an urgency in his eyes you couldn’t decipher.

“How tough has the weather been?” you asked, trying to see if he could elaborate.

“Very tough. I had to scrape the snow out of the driveway today, usually you’d do that since you’re much stronger than me,” he stared at you blankly. Your face dropped.

“We lived together?”

“That’s normal for fiancés these days I think, at least in this economy,” he wasn’t looking at you, but instead staring directly at the guard behind you. You were reeling now, seeing as different visions began to pop up all around the visitors room- all of you and Sungchan interacting over what seemed like different times in your lives. A sharp pain rang in your head and you reached a hand up to one of your temples in an attempt to soothe the ache.

“We’re engaged?” you whispered, trying to ignore the throbbing in your head and the figures around that tried to gain your attention. You were determined to focus on Sungchan.

“Yes,” he then reached forward, grabbing both of your hands in his.

“Sir you are to not remind the patients of their memories as it will harm their healing. You need to leave,” a guard now stood next to you, reaching towards the baton on his hip.

“N-No!” you shouted, standing up despite the shaking in your knees.

Yank. Guided by the tug on your hands, your body lurched forward and before you could stop yourself, Sungchan steadied you as your lips crashed into his. Despite the shouts occurring all around you, and the fact that you were torn off each other moments afterwards- there were two notable things about that kiss.

One- it was a huge burst of love and joy you hadn’t felt since you had entered the hospital. For a moment, you felt complete. The second, was the fact that there was now a small weight in the pocket of your robe, and as Sungchan was dragged away, you saw the smirk on his lips as your hands stayed in your pockets.

The guards didn’t let you join therapy the rest of the evening, and forced you to stay in your room, walking you to and from the restroom along with directly delivering you your dinner.

“Can I talk to y/n?” you heard Jisoo’s voice, despite not being able to see her past the shoulders of the guard.

“Curfews soon,” the guard replied blankly.

“It’ll just be a minute,” she pleaded. You watched the guard intently, and he moved to the side to allow her in. She ran past, jumping to join you on your bed and embrace you.

“Can’t… breathe,” you huffed out. She released you from the hug, but kept her hands firmly on your shoulders as she analyzed your face.

“Do you know if he’ll be allowed to visit?” she was getting directly to the point it seemed, and she made haste to your own worries. You pressed your lips together tightly, trying to stifle the tears that you had been holding back. Jisoo sighed, and wrapped you in another hug. “When one of my siblings visits, I’ll ask them if one can visit you too. So you can always have someone to talk to.”

“That’s so sweet,” it was all you could get out, your throat closing as you held back your tears. Still hugging you, she pressed her cheek against your own.

“I’ll have them talk to him for you, so you can speak somehow,” she whispered this, her own voice so low it was hard for you to hear. Once this sunk in, the tears you were holding back began to slip out one by one, and you squeezed Jisoo tightly.

Jisoo left shortly thereafter, and once curfew began, you were left in your room alone. The dim moonlight from your window offered little in terms of lighting, especially after you crawled underneath your bed with your comforter.

It was awkward to say the least, but you tucked the comforter around the exposed parts of the underside to mostly block out what the cameras could see, leaving a sliver open for just enough moonlight to hit you. Quietly and carefully, you let your finger slip into your pocket, and you gently lifted whatever it was Sungchan had fought to slip to you. Your hand met paper, and you lifted an envelope to your eyes.

In soft, small handwriting on the front was your name. You could stare at this alone for hours, the small letters in the soft lighting making your stomach fill with butterflies. Quietly and slowly, you tucked your nail under the corner of the envelope, and at a snail’s pace you opened the envelope.

Each small tear in the paper made your heart well in fear. You feared the consequences of being caught, so you made sure to open it quietly despite how badly you wanted to rip it open.

Finally, the envelope was opened. After slowly removing the sheets of paper from the envelope, you readjusted yourself carefully to allow the sliver of moonlight hit the portions you needed it to.

Y/N,

I’m sorry I kissed you like that, we figured it would be the only distraction we could utilize to help get this your way. There’s so many things to say, but there’s only so much time. I guess I’ll start with what’s most important.

This is not a mental asylum, a rehabilitation center, or any of that. The nurses and guards are not there to keep you safe and get better- they are there to control you and make you all miserable. The visions your therapist tells you are just figments of your imaginations? They’re all your memories seeping through. I know it sounds insane, but you have to trust me. We’re going to get you all out of there- I’m going to get you out of there.

I can’t stand walking in to see them slowly suck the life out of you. The bed’s lonely without you. I promise, next time we kiss, it’ll be different.

So, there’s a few things on the inside you’ll need to do. We’re not entirely sure of the ramifications, but it needs to be done. You have a week- I know you can do this.

---

You thought the first part was likely the most difficult. Every morning you’d all line up for your medication, and you’d have to wait a few minutes before grabbing your designated medication cup to then drink it, and then, by force, have a nurse check your mouth to make sure you swallowed them all.

Waiting at your door, you said good morning to your fellow patients, trying to keep a neutral tone. Your eyes searching, you followed behind Taeil, keeping closer to him than normal as you all started through the shared living space towards the medical hallway.

“Pretend you have a severe limp and stop moving at the couch or else,” you threatened, your voice so low only he could hear it as you brushed elbows with him. He turned to look at you in surprise before you shot him a glare. He stuttered in his steps before you kept walking ahead, hearing his steps grow heavy as he heavily limped, stopping on the couch.

“Hey, what’s wrong with him?” the guard asked you, not even bothering with Taeil. You shrugged your shoulders, in response, keeping your cool despite your racing heart.

“I’ll ask the nurse to bring him his medication here,” you offered, following now behind Jisoo and past the guard who simply nodded in response.

The hallway outside of the shared space contained the rest of your world. The table where you’d grab your medications, all of the rooms where you’d have your therapies, and the visitors room at the end.

Casually waiting, you slowly moved forward until it was your turn. “Taeil’s limping a bit it seems, I can bring him his medication and have the guard at the door check us?” you asked the nurse clumsily, trying to sell that you were a broken patient and not too confident in yourself.

The nurse squinted her eyes at you before she passed you the two cups. “This one's yours,” she placed the red cup in your right hand, “and these are Taeil’s,” his were in a yellow cup. You nodded, moving quickly towards the shared room before she could make you take your own in front of her.

“Here Taeil,” you handed him the red cup. He shot you a confused look, but before he could protest, you quickly gulped down the medications meant for him, leaving him no choice but to down the ones meant for you.

Roughly, the guard by the door turned your head, checking your open mouth before checking Taeil’s. Taeil shot you a confused look.

“La…” your voice got lost then, your throat closing up in pain as your speaking abilities seemed to disappear in a moment's notice. Taeil’s eyes widened before he pointed to your throat. You nodded, earning a silent gasp from him.

“Hi Taeil, we’re going to take a look at your leg,” a nurse came out from the hall, reluctantly offering Taeil a hand. He gulped, slowly rising and leaning on the nurse as he started his way out of the shared space and down the hall.

“What’s up with him?” Ten asked you. You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, you shrugged again, and hurried past him and to the TV, where your balls of cheap yarn sat.

First thing on the agenda for the day was a small group therapy session. Normally it would be you, Taeil, and Jaemin in this one, but with Taeil getting a physical exam done, it was just you Jaemin.

“How are you two feeling?” the doctor asked. You began unspooling the yarn, getting to work on another scarf.

“I’ll take the silence as you are doing well. So, Jaemin, tell me about this… buzzing sound you’ve been hearing?” you drowned out their conversation then, occasionally looking up to see figures forming behind the doctor. It was you in that skyscraper again, but this time you were looking at yourself inside the apartment, looking down at the party. Sungchan said they were your memories, but how true could this be?

“God they’re so loud,” the figure of you begrudged, leaning against the balcony in annoyance. Looking past this version of yourself, you saw a large group of people on the other rooftop, their loud music with a heavy bass filling the streets. “He’s way too close to the edge,” the other you hummed, leaning forward to observe more closely before they gasped.

A figure had seemingly leaned forward to get a better look at something, before they slipped off the roof, starting their descent down hundreds of feet. “Shit!” the other you cried, before they too leapt off the roof with an intense precision.

“Y/n!” the doctor called, the memory immediately fading from your sight as you focused on the Doctor. “Can I assume you are still seeing things that aren’t real?” they asked. Aren’t real. It was the words they used- aren’t real and aren’t there could be used interchangeably, sure, but knowing what was in the letter from Sungchan, you knew that the word choice was intentional.

You shook your head no, and forced a yawn then, even lifting your hand to rub your tired eyes.

“I guess she didn’t sleep great,” Jaemin muttered, and you nodded. The doctor squinted at you, before he sighed and returned their attention back to Jaemin.

Taeil joined you in the next group therapy session, a smile on his face despite the heavy limp he was still forcing. Without you speaking, in the next few therapy sessions Ten and Jisoo carried a majority of the conversations and discussions and you focused mainly on your finger knitting.

No more visions appeared to you until lunch time while you all sat quietly around the TV watching Italian Lion King.

Another version of you moved quickly from one end of the room to the other, a small stack of books in her hands as she stopped in front of the TV.

“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the other you hissed, turning around to glare at someone who followed closely behind. It was Sungchan. In this memory, he was wearing a soccer uniform, his hair held back thanks to a sweatband while a large duffle bag hung on his shoulder.

“I know it was you who saved my life,” he tried, his voice low. The other you furrowed your eyebrows, and took a step forward to stand closer to the soccer player.

“Do I look like someone who cares enough to save your life? I don’t even know your name,” the other you countered, obviously forcing a confidence that was not there. The other Sungchan paused, analyzing your face before nodding, clearly standing his ground. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope.”

The other you huffed, before looking around as if to inspect who else was around them. “Come with me.”

The next few days were the same- you and Taeil swapped your medications, you were unable to use your voice, and you’d occasionally catch him humming to himself when he thought no one was nearby.

On the third day, you were playing another game of checkers with Ten. He had taken to mostly talking at you rather than with you, resorting to accepting that the most you’d be able to do was nod or shake your head.

“Jaemin finally told me about what happened during your last visit,” he studied your face for a reaction. You felt an ache in your chest, but kept your face still as you moved another piece on the board, taking a few of Ten’s chips in the process.

“I can’t believe they didn’t want you knowing that he was your fiancé,” Ten whispered, placing a hand over your own sympathetically. You gulped, and moved your hand away as you got up from the table. “Everything okay?” Ten asked, watching as you moved from the table towards the yarn you had near the TV.

On the third day, after you’ve been taking Taeil’s medication, hand Ten some yarn. He’ll probably think you’re just being weird, but by the next day he’ll start making stuff on his own. At least, I hope so. If not, lend him an extra helping hand in making doodles with the yarn.

Sungchan was right in that Ten was confused as to why you were handing him the cheap yarn, but he didn’t refuse it either.

You were getting irritated by the fact that you couldn’t speak, and the doctors were being anything but pleasant about it. Sungchan said you just had to switch the medication for a week, but not being able to speak to help with your other tasks was proving to be difficult.

Jaemin and Jisoo were called to speak with their visitors (Jisoo had shot you a sympathetic look). Instead of watching Taeil and Ten play checkers, you dipped into the hallway that held all of your rooms and shared restrooms.

Pace the hall ten times, slowly.

Following the first instruction, you stared down at your own feet as you walked up and down the small hallway, hands shoved into the pockets of your robe.

Enter Jisoo’s room, and stand by the window. Count to thirty.

Jisoo was much tidier than you. Her bed was made with care- much less sloppy than your own. You didn’t pay it too much attention, and stared out of the never ending abyss that was the grassy knoll that held you all.

Enter each room, slowly lowering your robe, and look either at the window or the wall for thirty second each.

Most of the time, you all would wear your robes over your white PJs simply because it was comfortable. You were a little annoyed, but you followed this step, until you approached Jaemin’s room, your fingers trembled at this last step.

Quickly, you dropped your robe on the floor of his door, and grabbed the spare one he had hanging up. Putting his on seamlessly and kicking yours under where his original hung, you moved towards the window to stare out, your heart pounding. His robe felt different. The lining was of a rubber material rather than the fabric in yours, but because it matched the white robe, the only way to even notice the difference was to wear it and feel the texture.

You felt bad that night at dinner. You spilled your juice on Jaemin and could only mouth an apology at him, having to also hide your smirk as he rushed to his room to change out the robe he was wearing to the spare one he had hanging up.

“This one feels weird,” he grumbled once he sat back down, shooting you another glare.

On the seventh day was your final task. When you had first read it and had a voice, it seemed fairly simple. Tell the other four to not fall asleep. Easy. Except now, you had lost your voice and couldn’t easily whisper to your fellow companions. Racking your brain the whole week, you knew you had to get creative, and there was only one thing you could think of to try and convey your message.

It was silly, and a bit of a reach, but it was all you could think of as you paused the Italian Lion King you were all watching.

“Hey!” Ten called, reaching to take the remote back from you. You got up from between Jisoo and Jaemin, moving to gesture towards the TV.

“He’s singing the Lion sleeps tonight,” Jaemin stated the obvious. You nodded, beginning to force a gesture of a shaking head and also one to indicate sleeping.

“Oh, I think she’s trying to talk,” Jisoo stated what you thought was obvious, earning an ‘oh’ from everyone else. You rolled your eyes, and started pointing to the TV again to try and bring them back with what you started with me.

“No lion king tonight?” Jaemin tried. You shook your head furiously, playing the video back a few seconds and pausing on the word ‘sleep.’

“No sleeping lion tonight?” Jisoo was squinting, as if doing so would help. You shook your head, fast forwarding and pausing on a portion of the film with a lion on it, drawing an X with your finger over them.

“Sleeping lions bad?” Jaemin tried again. You smacked your forehead in frustration, about to give up, until Ten spoke up.

“No sleep tonight. Why?” Ten kept his voice low so anyone on the other side of the doors couldn’t hear. You were surprised for a moment, before you placed a hand over your heart, trying desperately to express sincerity. “I’ll trust you. Fine,” Ten nodded, before turning to everyone else who slowly nodded in agreement.

A few minutes afterwards, when you had all grown comfortable in silence, the door from the main hallway opened, and several guards shuffled in. You watched as they all entered your room. Panicked, you stood up, opening your mouth to speak until a nurse stepped from the hallway to stop you.

“It has been brought to our attention that you have been misusing your bed frame,” she spoke to you as if she rehearsed this. You were confused, until you saw a group of guards carrying away the platform that lifted your bed, and had allowed you to hide underneath it. “Until you can learn to behave and properly speak again with your doctors, your bed will be on the floor.”

“She isn’t an animal,” Jisoo spoke for you, getting up from the couch and placing a hand on your shaking shoulder.

“Humans don’t need to be locked up like you all do, so in a way, you all are closer to animals,” the nurse clicked her tongue. She walked out behind the guards, looking up in a corner before she left. You followed her initial gaze, and as you suspected, she sent a look into the camera as if she was putting on a show.

You gulped, and walked quickly to your room, seeing your bed now sitting sadly on the floor. The safe place you once had, was now gone.

Aggressively, you yanked the bed and moved it from the corner, jumping back on top to check the corner of the floor. It was gone- the stupid earring back was gone. Your shaking fingers then moved from the corner of the floor to press themselves against the corner of the comforter, a familiar crinkle sounding through the inside that calmed you. They didn’t find Sungchan’s letter.That night, after you memorized it, you tore open your comforter enough to slide the envelope inside, and made sure to make your bed in a way that wouldn’t bring attention to the prefieration.

“We haven’t eaten yet!” you heard a shout from the living space and quickly got off the floor, kicking the bed back into the corner.

“Shut up and get back to your room,” an unfamiliar voice chastised. You peeked your head out to see the guards forcing everyone else off the couch, having to watch as they were all slowly forced into their rooms. They all passed you slowly, all exhibiting an equally confused look as they entered their rooms, standing by the doorway to take in a last look at the other.

“Lights out is early today,” the guard closest to you called. Jaemin stood at the doorway in front of yours, his fingers picking at the lining of his robe. “I don’t want to hear a peep out of you motherfuckers,” he spat, hitting a control in his hand that shut all of your doors, allowing you to only see a Jaemin’s window from your own.

You could hear hands pounding on doors in anger, but it was no use- the small amount of hours you had to interact were cut short for the day, and you likely wouldn’t even be getting dinner on top of that.

Jaemin seemed to sigh, staring down before he shot you a wave only to disappear from your line of vision. He was likely choosing to wait out the night in a more comfortable corner, but you couldn’t bring yourself to move. Instead, you angled yourself to where you could see a part of Ten’s window, seeing that he was mouthing words to Jisoo- whose room was situated in front of him and next to yours.

You watched him standing at his door for a while, moving back occasionally to check-in on Jaemin, until Ten decided that he too would just sit and wait out the night. Leaving you with not much else to do, you sat on the floor in front of the window, watching the sunset on the grassy knoll outside.

Wait.

Last week, when Sungchan visited, he was in full winter attire- same thing for the other people visiting. Yet, as you looked back out through this window and thought back of the small views you were allotted- it was never changing. Grassy, green, plush, cloudless. You pressed a hand to the glass, testing to see if you would feel any outside temperature, and was instead met with the cold of glass.

You shook your head, choking on your self-inflicted silence as you began pressing your hand all over the window, trying to feel for anything that could indicate that you were wrong. Lips quivering, you gently knocked on the glass, and a small echo rang out, an echo that wouldn’t be possible if you were looking out at an empty plain. Fuck.

Hands trembling, you brought them back down, crawling into your bed and under your covers. You hated the cameras to begin with- but having the full confirmation that you indeed were not in a hospital, made them feel ten times worse. Who was watching you all? Why would they do this?

“I can’t believe you told the jock,” a voice spoke, distracting you from the tears that streamed down your face. You removed the covers from your face and stared at the figures your brain decided to make now. It was you, Jaemin, and Jisoo all sitting around a small table. The other you sighed, rubbing her temples out of frustration.

“I didn’t tell him, he figured it out,” the other you countered.

“Did you tell him about us?” Jisoo asked, her voice much less judgemental than Jaemin was, and you shook your head no in response. “Then I don’t see any harm.”

“Her identity being compromised threatens all of ours!” Taeil entered the frame, his voice surprising you as you watched the vision unfold.

“Taeil, bring it down a notch. He may be a jock, but I don’t think he has loose lips,” Ten entered the frame as well.

“If anything happens… I’ll take care of it,” the other you announced, standing up from the table with a stern look. “He won’t talk.” Everyone was silent then, either looking at each other for approval or, like Jisoo, simply staring down at their own hands.

“So it’s settled, Sungchan’s your responsibility. Onto other matters…” Ten’s voice faded out then as the vision- or rather, memory- faded from you, leaving you alone again in your small room.

Once the sky had fallen asleep, you could hear occasional knocks from the other doors, sometimes hitting your door yourself to let everyone know that you too were awake. You wished you could tell what time it was, but all you had to go off of was the fake moon shining a bit of light on you.

Bored, you were standing by your door, head leaning on the frame as you stared at the camera to the right, the stupid red light above it taunting you. You glared at the light for what felt like forever. You wanted the person watching to feel a sliver of the discomfort you did.

Then, the red light went out. You blinked quickly. Was it a trick of the eye? You moved from your spot on the door, turning to look at the other cameras to see that their red lights flickered out as well.

A sharp pain began to swell from your wrist, and you tensed your jaw to fight the urge to groan in pain. While you held your pain back, there were groans from the other rooms, having to be loud enough for you to hear them within your own walls. Holding your wrist tightly, you looked out in the hall to see Jaemin leaning against his door, holding his wrist up as he winced, checking who else was feeling the pain.

Letting go of your wrist and grimacing, you hit your fist once on the door. There was a silence before another loud round of two knocks rang- Taeil. Silence, and then, three loud knocks rang, Jaemin wincing as he slammed the door. Silence rang again, and you angled yourself to see Ten hitting his own door, loudly, four times straight. Jisoo didn’t let silence fall again for long as she seemed to kick her door five times straight, a sound of agony ringing shortly thereafter.

So, you were all awake, and feeling seemingly varying levels of pain, great.

Then everything was drowned in pitch black. You whirled around, realizing that the little moonlight you had was gone, leaving a black abyss in its wake. Feeling the door, you tried to look out of the small window and you realized there wasn’t any bit of light anywhere. Your breathing began picking up in fear.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up as your ears began to pick up on the sounds of hands pressing against a glass. You turned around, pressing your back to the door as you listened to the sound coming from the other end of your room. Creak. Creak. Creak.

You gulped, still gripping your wrist in pain as all you could do was stand and listen.

Creaaaaaaak. Crash!

You yelped, falling to the floor in a panic as the sound of a body colliding with the floor made the room shake. You panicked, pressing your knees tightly to your chest as your body shook with fear.

“I said tuck and roll, not just tuck,” a familiar voice chastised, followed by another set of small stomps on the floor. You so desperately wished you could speak, but all you could do was sit in the darkness and try and decipher the strangers that crashed into your room. One set of steps moved closer to you, and your breathing hitched as you felt someone kneel and stand directly in front of you.

“It’s me, you’re going to be okay,” they whispered. Your hands trembled as you moved them from your sides and slowly to met the face of the person in front of you, who then in turn chuckled. “Here,” he moved your hands away then, a small silence sounding before he gently placed a set of glasses onto the bridge of your nose, clicking a button before light entered your eyes, allowing you to see in the dark.

The person in front of you… it was Sungchan. He was gently smiling as he watched the recognition appear on your face through his own night vision glasses. Was this even real? Leaping forward, you embraced Sungchan, forcing your face into the crook of his neck. He was warm, he smelled good, and he held you tightly- he was real. He was really here, just like how he promised he would be.

“This is sweet folks, but we have to go,” the second person chastised, moving from their place on the floor towards where you two sat in front of the door. Sungchan let go of you. He still knelt beside you, now holding your wrist still.

“Y/n, the pain on your wrist? It’s a chip, and if we are going to get you out of here, we’re going to have to get it out. Do you trust me?” Sungchan asked, pleading as you saw the other man digging through the utility belt on his waist. “Y/n?” Sungchan asked again.

Lip quivering, you adjusted your hand to hold Sungchan’s, looking at the other man before you nodded.

They both knelt down now, the other man bringing out a scalpel and an alcohol wipe that he used to clean up the part of your skin that was still aching.

“Hi, you don’t remember me, but I’m Doyoung- and this is going to hurt just a bit. But, please keep the noise down. We can’t attract any more attention.”

Continue? —> CHAPTER THREE

#nct fanfic #nct fic #nct angst #nct imagines #sungchan x reader #sungchan fic #sungchan x y/n #nct hero au #sungchan angst #nct reader insert #nct thriller #nct psychological horror #sungchan thriller

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clasekdionne · 3 days

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#cute blonde #reputation #m text #bedtime #nct imagines #sad little #hollywoodlife #thriller

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thatsatricky1 · 2 months

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𝐀𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 || Prologue

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: Abandoned. After going through hell and back together, she was left there to fend for herself. Y/n felt as though they’d left her in the dust at the facility. A facility that had taken young gifted children raising them in secret. The eight of them had been taken as children and grown up together at the facility and just when it they had the chance of escaping they made one crucial mistake, leaving her behind in the dust. One big mistake they hadn’t forgiven themselves for, and she would make sure they’d never forget it.

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Nct Dream ot7 x Reader.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Angst, Cursing, Fluff, Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller, Trauma, Weird Humor.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Slight gore, mentions of blood, mentions of being wounded, angst, abandonment.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1,4k+

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: This does not depict an accurate picture of Nct Dream and this is strictly fantasy/fiction for entertainment purposes.

“Run Donghyuck!”

“What do you think I’m doing, strolling through the garden?” Donghyuck replied sharply out of breath as he ran as fast as he could, adrenaline filling his body making him unaware of the stinging feeling in his feet. Jaemin a few paces ahead of him.

Donghyuck skidded to a stop once he finally saw everyone in front of him. Breathing heavily as his eyes scanned over the familiar faces, relief dripping from him but his breath that he finally was catching back was stolen again, eyes widening in realisation.

“Where’s Y/n?!” He barely managed to get the question out from how he was trying to catch his breath back.

“She is coming, don't worry we have one more minute before they start looking for us.” Mark replied, grabbing Donghyuck’s hand, tugging him over to the rest of the group waiting at the mahogany wooden door.

“No this isn’t right, she should have gotten here first.” Donghyuck gasped out in between sucking air greedily back into his body that was desperate for oxygen.

“The security around her hall was timed differently than usual, they changed the rotation early.” Jaemin replied, also heaving in breaths. The whole group needed to gain their breath back.

Renjun winced while checking his pocket watch again, thirty seconds had past, eyes looking down the dark corridor, hearing the blood pulsing behind his ears like a drum.

”Thirty more seconds.” Renjun barely managed to get out.

They’d said from the start that no one would be left behind. The eight of them against the world if they had too. But it had taken months to plan this escape and it looked like one random security route change up would ruin that.

The boys share a glance with each other before Jeno steps to the front deciding something that would change their future.

“We need to leave now.”

“What no. Fuck no. We wait.” Jaemin disturbed as he shook head, eyes widening at Jeno’s words.

“Ten seconds.” Renjun spoke only focusing on his pocket watch hand gripping it tight.

“Our time is limited Jaemin, we can’t wait anymore. She would want us to escape even if she doesn’t get out.” Jeno stressed out grabbing his hair with both hands tugging on it.

Jeno didn’t want to leave her behind but what other option did they have. Stay and continue suffering? They had all been waiting years to get away from the hell hole they were trapped in.

“Jeno is right, there’s no time left.” Mark managed to say even if every fiber of his being didn’t want to admit it.

“Are you out of your mind?” Donghyuck says moving to tug at Mark’s vest slightly red in the face whether from the running or anger no one could tell, most likely both.

“Five seconds.”

“We get it!” Donghyuck spat at Renjun who was still insistently calling out the time left before they really had to go unless they wanted to be stuck there.

“Donghyuck we need to go, she’ll understand.” Mark cut his yelling off lest they get any unwanted attention grabbing his friend's face, cupping his jaw in his hands to face him. Mark noticed the tears welling in his friend's eyes.

”Promise. Promise me that she’ll understand.” Donghyuck all but begged.

“I… I promise.” Mark managed to grit out through clenched teeth.

Mark letting go of Donghyucks face when he finally nodded back.

“Will she be okay?” Jisung finally spoke up, unlike the others who held back tears, his were free flowing.

“Y/n is tough, she’ll be okay Jisung.” Jeno reassured with a tight lipped smile, not sure if he was trying to convince Jisung or himself.

“She will be okay.” Chenle spoke up with a determined look. Out of all of them, Y/n was always the one to keep it together.

“Waiting period is over.” Renjun stated putting away his pocket watch, lip quivering as he watched the hallway in front of them. Silence, with no familiar footsteps coming towards them anytime soon.

Flashes of red neon hued lights flashing on and off. A blaring alarm ringing through the air signally something was wrong in the facility. An attempted escape.

Y/n didn’t know what to focus on. The burning feeling all over her body, muscles aching and screaming for a break, throat dry and swollen from air being swallowed down greedily and being exhaled too fast, blood thumping and rushing. Not to mention the gushing wound on her side.

The stomping of boots fading in the background as she made pace. Always having been the fastest, something the facility took pride in but not at this moment.

For the first time in what felt like days, weeks even she smiled. A smile of relief. Her freedom, her boys freedom so close she could touch it. Somehow the hope in her stomach pushed her faster as she bounded down the second last hallway. Hand still pushing pressure into the side of her torso.

“I’m coming! Boys I’m nearly there!” Y/n let the scream ripple out her dry cracked lips, not needing to be quiet as she was already being chased down. By the ones who’d taken her in the first place.

Taking a sharp right, managing to keep her footing as she raced across the sterile white tiles bare feet staining the floor red in her wake. Seeing the dark mahogany door now.

Her smile dropped into a frown of confusion as she raced down it, not seeing a person in sight. Not the seven figures she’d been expecting to be there. Skidding to a stop a few steps away from the door, that had been left ajar.

Her breathing haggered as she stood wobbling, balance unstable as her eyes trained on the door. Trying to wrap her head around the sight before her. Though it was plain and simple to connect the dots, her mind could and would not accept the sight.

Hand leaving her side slipping away from her gushing wound, slow droplets of blood rolling down her paling hand, falling down onto the once clean white tiles below her.

”No.” Her whisper lost between the loud blaring alarm.

Her figure disappears into the darkness only to reappear every few seconds in the floodlights of red coming from the lights. Swaying slightly now yet her eyes stayed trained on the door, the one that led to her escape.

Her body tried to take a steady deep inhale through her nose but a sudden blinding pain caught her off guard spreading through her head, time seemingly slowing down as her sight seemed to be going sideways.

Y/n not even noticing it wasn’t just her sight going sideways but her body that collapses down onto the ground. A figure behind her being revealed not much older than herself as he stood there eyes wide gazing down at her, his grip on the metal pipe in his hand tighter if possible.

Her body thumped onto the ground in a heap, a mess. Eye glazed over with unshed tears, pain radiating through her. Not just physically but from deep within her.

“Good job Jeongin, very well done my boy.” An older man’s voice cut through the loud alarms.

Y/n not being able to hear it, everything sounding drowned, like she was underwater. She laid there unfocused eyes still staring at that mahogany door from where she was on the floor.

“I told you not to harm my girl, only to detain her!” The older man's voice sounded angry now yelling at people in the distance finally having caught up a bit too late to her.

“Get her to the medical ward, don’t harm her any further or you’ll all be missing a hand as punishment. We’ve already lost seven of my boys, my girl isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.”

Y/n barely felt the touches against her body, not even the hand that pressed tightly against her wounded side. Her body being dragged up, held against someone as they started walking away from the door.

Her hand just barely managed to lift weakly up in the direction of the wooden door that was slowly getting further away.

‘They left me.’ Was all that ran through her head, hand falling limp, her eyes finally failing her as her eyelids felt too heavy to keep open, the pressure of her eyes closing finally letting a tear slip past rolling down her cheek.

They left me.

Prologue || Chapter 1 || Chapter 2

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭:

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𝐀𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭:

⤻ Click here.

𝐊𝐩𝐨𝐩 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭:

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luminxusnovaa · 1 year

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- `, welcome to my account! ꒱ ↷🖇

hi, i made this account/blog to bring a kpop imagine series that i made on wattpad onto tumblr. anyways, that’s not important.

nice to meet you, i’m ash. i’m a writer, i’m seventeen, i live in nyc. i write imagines more than fanfictions, still struggling with writers block and motivation.

for the charade series, that i plan to share here.. there are themes such as suicide, murder, sexual themes, language, violence, descriptions of blood.

different imagines starring different kpop idols. so new chapter(?) new casting.

thanks! i hope you enjoy reading my imagines ꈍᴗꈍ

#kpop imagines #kpop idols #wattpad #imagine #whodunnit #fanfiction #snsd #exo #nct #bts #boy group #girl group #short story #oneshot #multifandom fic #mystery #thriller

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toastiebobabear · 5 months

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Something is Out There

A group of five rather loud and obnoxious young men were currently making their way down the road in the old van that Johnny's father had allowed him to borrow for their summer vacation, they were headed to a cabin that Taeyong had access to through his aunt and had asked if they could stay there for the summer, and had been told they could so they were off. Loud music booming throughout the vehicle as the five men sang along, giggling throughout it as the vehicle flew down the road. Behind the wheel was obviously Taeyong since Johnny didn't do well with directions so everyone voted that Taeyong drove, plus it was his aunt's cabin so that was also a reason why everyone voted he be the one to sit behind the wheel.

Even though Taeyong had been to the cabin before that had been years ago, back when he was no older than ten and no younger than six, and at that age while he remembered the turns his family took on the way there and on the way back they were starting to fade. It had been so long ago that he didn't really know the way to actually get there, but he wasn't about to tell his four friends that and just went down roads he believed to be the ones they went down to get to the cabin when he was younger. Only for him to realize as he was halfway down one road that was rather dark and looked like no other vehicle had been down it in years that he possibly made a wrong turn, the road not being one he recognized. And that's when things had got worse, just as he opened his mouth to speak and voice his concern the van was acting up and they came to a screeching halt on the side of the road, headlights shining ahead as the red head made an attempt to start the van yet failed at doing so did he realize they were officially stranded down a road he didn't recognize whatsoever.

That's when Sicheng spoke up from the back of the van, looking out the window into the pitch black darkness. "We're stranded, aren't we?" He voiced out curiously, glancing at the front of the vehicle before looking out the window once more. The road had nothing but trees on both sides, no houses in sight. That's when Johnny chuckled softly, obviously nervous as he shifted where he sat, turning in the passenger seat to look directly at Taeyong who had remained silent as he refused to look back at his friend, choosing to face forward as his hands remained on the steering wheel. "You do know where we are, right?"

For a while there was silence, Taeyong didn't know what to say. What could he say? That he didn't know the road they were down and suggested they walk and see if they could find someone to help? There wasn't anyone out there, and he wasn't going to suggest they split up and go looking either, especially when the only light was provided by the headlights of the van, and even that wasn't enough to make him feel safe.

Finally he pulled his gaze off the road, meeting Johnny's as he offered a smile that didn't reach his eyes whatsoever. "I wouldn't say I'm familiar with this road…" he mumbled softly, reaching for his phone he had smacked in one of the cupholders as he went to see if he still had service like he did earlier, only to see that he didn't, he then gently placed his phone back in the spot where he had grabbed it from. Silence followed soon after, and it wasn't a comfortable one either, or well, until Yuta poked his head in-between the two front seats, looking at his two friends before looking out the windshield. "We planning on sitting here like ducks or are we going to go looking for someone?" He questioned, tilting his head to one side. His question was rather dumb, and he knew it was, but that didn't stop him from asking it.

Xiaojun just snickered at the question, gently shoving Yuta as he leaned against the door he had claimed before they had started on the journey. "Have you seen any houses? I can't even recall the last gas station I've seen within the past three hours. We're stranded and Taeyong doesn't know where in the hell we are"

And that's when Taeyong had enough, releasing his grip on the steering wheel as he unbuckled himself, turning around to glare at the three friends in the back, "That's enough, get out of the car. We are all going together as a group to make an attempt to find someone down this god damn road" he practically hissed, flinging the driver door open causing Johnny to jump and gently slap Taeyong's arm. "Yah! Don't treat my dad's van like that, he'll kill me" He whined softly, receiving an eye roll from Taeyong in return. "Get out, every single one of you" the red head spoke, poking his head back into the vehicle before walking to the front of it, stretching his arms above his head as he sighed softly.

Without a single protest from any of the other boys, because they knew Taeyong wasn't about to listen to anything they had to say, they all opened their doors and stepped out the vehicle, Johnny snatching the keys that dangled out of the ignition before shutting his door, maneuvering around the van to shut the driver door that his red headed friend had left wide open as he threw a glare in his direction.

Ruffling his hair, Sicheng let out a soft sigh as he glanced at Taeyong before looking around, then pulled out his phone and turned the flashlight on. While they didn't have signal it still was dark, and they needed all the light they could get, which with even just phone's wasn't much but it was better than no light at all. "So…are we just going to roam the road and hope that we stumble across a house that magically appears out of thin air?" Xiaojun had spoken yet once more, glaring at the one who had been the designated driver.

Taeyong simply rolled his eyes yet again, waving the male off as he glanced at Sicheng who was now walking around using his phone flashlight to see in front of himself. "If you would prefer to sit in the van alone in the dark be my guest, but you don't know what's out here so I suggest we stick together" Yuta piped up from behind Xiaojun, startling the other male as he jumped before turning around, gently swatting at the smiling male on the shoulder while he puffed his cheeks out. "And that's exactly why I see this as the wrong thing to do! We don't know what is out here, so we shouldn't be out here especially with nothing to defend ourselves with" he huffed, looking at Taeyong who didn't spare him a single glance, and was making his way to Sicheng, leaning over his shoulder as the two began to talk in hushed whispers, a frown forming on Sicheng's face mid-conversation.

Despite being a summer night it was awfully cold, perhaps too cold as Johnny shivered rather aggressively, pulling his hands into his sleeves as he wrapped his arms around himself whilst he walked in circles, chewing on his bottom lip while glancing around.

"If we stay together we'll be fine! Stop thinking negatively all the time" Taeyong finally spoke to him, glancing at the silver haired male as he rolled his eyes, walking towards Xiaojun with Sicheng right behind him, phone lowered yet the flashlight remained on. The Chinese male glanced between the two of his friends, motioning for Johnny and Yuta as he cleared his throat. "Enough fighting, now obviously isn't the time for it" Sicheng hissed out, swatting the redhead on the back of the neck, causing him to wince slightly and raise a hand to put there as he turned slightly in his direction. Which he was right, they didn't need to be arguing. Especially in the situation they were currently in, no cell service and no houses in sight, they couldn't call anyone for help and it was pitch black, the moon providing some light but not much as the five young men now stood in a circle in the middle of the rather vacant road, the van they were previously in off to the side not far away from them in case they needed to make a run for it and lock themselves in.

And so the five boys set off down the road, their only source of light coming from their phones as they remained close by one another, not daring to break apart or get out of arms reach in case something happened and someone had to be jerked as they ran back to the direction of which they had came from. But all while they continued forward the hair on Sicheng's neck stood up, and he was constantly glancing around, it felt as if something…or someone was watching them, yet he didn't want to scare his friends or be told it was nothing so he kept it to himself, yet that feeling of being watched never truly went away, it lingered.

It was quiet, perhaps too quiet because the small Chinese male swore he heard footsteps coming from behind them, and that made him jump, smacking right into Taeyong's back before backing away slightly, holding his nose as he winced. But Taeyong did stop and turned around, causing the three others to stop as well as they directed their attention to Sicheng, eyes curious as Taeyong tilted his head slightly. "What's wrong? Why are you so jumpy, Sicheng?" The red head spoke softly, trying his best to not startle the already in edge male who refused to look him in the eyes and settled on his shoes instead, one hand on his nose while his other clutched his phone while shaking his head slightly. "Nothing," he murmured softly after a while of silence, then he lifted his gaze, glancing at Xiaojun before looking directly at Taeyong as he removed his hand from his nose, wiggling it to make sure it wasn't damaged. "I just thought I heard someone behind us"

Johnny furrowed his eyebrows, opening his mouth to speak but before he could utter a single word footsteps could be heard coming from the darkness behind them. And right then and there they had decided going back wasn't an option, they had to run, and the only way forward or off into either side of the road into the trees. "Run, I know we agreed to not split up but fuck it. If you can manage to keep up with someone then stay with them, otherwise fucking run" Taeyong spoke in a hushed voice, and with that the five broke into a sprint, Xiaojun ended up diving into the left side of the trees, his fellow Chinese friend hot on his heels while Taeyong and Johnny ran straight, never straying from the road, and Yuta disappeared into the right side, his figure also vanishing off into the trees.

What they had thought was a single pair of footsteps turned into several, whatever or whoever was following them had back up, and they were all being chased after. Growls could also be heard, which led Sicheng to believe that these were not people that were chasing them, the noises didn't even sound human. But then what was it?

Sicheng had found himself stumbling, but managed to stay on his feet as he continued to follow after Xiaojun, who had kept glancing back to make sure he was still right behind him. "Don't fall! And if you do, yell!" Xiaojun had spoken, but instead of Korean he had switched back to his mother language, Chinese. The only thing Sicheng could do was nod, he couldn't find his voice to give a verbal response, mainly because he was too terrified. "And ditch the phone! The light will only let them know what way we are going!" Xiaojun spoke once more, making a sharp turn to avoid running directly into a huge tree, Sicheng following close behind as he chunked his phone, heading it hit the ground with a thud as he never looked back. Afraid if he did he would see something he didn't want to see behind him, and it would be game over for him then.

And so they continued to run, Xiaojun getting further and further away as Sicheng didn't have stamina like he did, but Sicheng didn't make any sound or alert the other male. It would only get them both caught by whatever was chasing them, and he didn't want to put his friend's life at risk, if it was up to him, which it was, he would just allow himself to be grabbed so Xiaojun had a chance of getting far away and meeting the rest somewhere. So Sicheng drew to a stop, and that's when he felt the presence of something breathing right down his neck.

What felt like years of nothing but running, four out of the five boys managed to meet up on the road once again, the sun coming up and the road didn't look as terrifying as it did during the night. But something wasn't right, Sicheng was missing.

"Xiaojun," Yuta called, causing said boy to snap his gaze in his direction, humming softly as he lifted an eyebrow, waiting for Yuta to continue with whatever it was that he had to say. "Where's Sicheng? I thought he followed you" the Japanese friend finished, which also caught the attention of Johnny and Taeyong who were whispering to themselves off to the side before slowly looking at Xiaojun as well, and that's when Xiaojun went stiff as he turned around, looking off into the trees, where he had emerged from.

"I…he was right behind me, I told him if he fell to yell and I would get him but I never heard a response after I told him to shake the phone" Xiaojun whispered softly, glancing back at Yuta who now had a worried expression plastered on his face, but before he could respond, or before anyone could speak at all, Sicheng appeared from the trees, slowly making his way to the group as he slowly started to catch his breath, a scratch on his cheek. "I'm here, we got separated is all" he spoke, offering a soft smile as he looked at Xiaojun then Yuta.

"Glad to see you are okay, but what happened to your cheek?" Johnny was the one to speak, tapping his own cheek as he looked at his friend, head tilted while Sicheng placed a hand on his cheek, then looked at it as red liquid came back, chuckling softly as he shrugged his shoulders. "Must have scratched it during the run, I'm fine" the smile never leaving his face, almost like it was permanently there, but the boys didn't find anything off about it, and just nodded.

"Now we have to find a way to call someone to come get us, luckily we are almost to the end of the road and should start to see actual people again" Taeyong spoke, making his way down the road as the four others followed right after him.

But what they didn't know was that this was not Sicheng, the real Sicheng was somewhere, but not here, and whatever it was in his place had no intentions of letting these boys leave this road. Alive at least.

#nct #nct 127 #nct dream #fanfic #horror #thriller

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neowinestainedress · 6 months

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𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄, 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄?

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: any nct member!ghostface x detective!fem!reader 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: “horror”, thriller, yandere-ish, smut, halloween special, scream!au 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: in these past months your only goal is to find the killer that is terrorizing the town of Woodsboro, but when you get close to him and feel like you finally have the upper hand, Ghostface turns the game around again. Or, Ghostface wants to play with you but not like he does with his victims, and you let him. 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: dark content, talks of [m*rders, sl!tting throats, v!olent stuff in general], dr*g/anaesthetic use [to make mc fall asleep but unrelated to any sexu*l act (she’s awake and willing)], mentions of [dubcon] phone s*x + masturbation, implied stalking, use of restrainers, cl!t rubbing, rough t!t/n!pple play, protected s*x turns unprotected, kn!fe play, ‘fear’ play, clothes cutting, fake sympathy, pet names used in a mocking way, degradation, rough s*x, hair pulling, spit (1), p*ssy slapping, dacryphilia, possessiveness, 1 brief talk of carving, polaroids pictures, all consensual but i’ll still put a dubcon warning just to be safe (tbh it’s more like hate sex bc the mc would rip his head off but also fuck him), reader is kinda fucked up herself. | inclusivity notes: reader has hair long enough that can be pulled (no mention of texture, type and color), no mention of body type but reader is manhandled a few times and has b**bs and *ss big enough that can be cupped, no mention of skin color, no use of y/n 𝐖𝐂: 10.662k 𝐀/𝐍: this year i had vague ideas for halloween but not even a defined good one, i had some suggestions i liked but were far too complicated, and i had no energy to write them in time. but a ghostface/scream au was an idea i had in mind for some time, the original was a ghostface cosplay, but then i went with this one, and I’m happy with how it turned out. i had 2 members in mind (johnny/haechan) for the og plot, then someone suggested jeno and jisung (as a duo) but if i unmasked him the plot wouldn’t have made sense anymore, so he’s whoever you want him to be! the other ghostface is mentioned but doesn’t appear physically in the story, you can pick who you want for him too. i never wrote blankly for the male mc so let me know if it was good. please, if you like it, leave feedback through reblogs or asks! and also let me know who you imagined behind the mask 👀 enjoy and happy halloween

𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐄.

Your mother always told you to mind your business or else your curiosity was going to be the death of you one day.

It’s clear you never treasured her words, and your curiosity led you to be a private detective with only a few thrills in your life since now, nothing too exciting ever happened in your small town, until one day you received a phone call from the district of Woodsboro. A string of murders was terrorizing the town after years and all the evidence led to another psycho who thought it was funnier to kill people while putting on a Ghostface mask.

Months have passed since that call and you have nothing concrete. It’s like he’s only messing up with you and, in the meantime, innocent people keep dying. But you have your theories, the ones you only keep to yourself, stored away in the privacy of your diary, hidden under the pillow of your bed. Your colleagues seem decent people, but with time, you’ve learned to trust nobody.

And your secret theories led you right where you are now. In the open country, away from the small town, where a small barn grabbed your attention the first time you moved to Woodsboro.

The barn seems empty but eerie vibes surround it. The strong smell of the grass stings your nose as your black boots walk on the muddy ground, the rain of this morning still lingering in the air and in the countryside.

When you reach the perimeter, you squeeze your eyes to see inside, but the few tiny windows don’t allow you a big view. The more you walk around it to make sure it’s empty, the more the hold on your concealed carry with the gun inside tightens.

It’s late October and the cold penetrates your brown leather jacket, but the temperature is not the thing that makes you shiver.

You should’ve never followed your instinct and come here alone. You should’ve spoken to somebody else in the department, told them your theory and have some backup in this crazy plan of yours. But when your impulses take over, your smartness slips away, and you find yourself in the worst situations ever.

Like right now. You stand in front of the wooden door and find the courage to push it open. You should feel thrilled, you found him. You found the psycho that has been haunting the town for months now, messing up with you with clues and mocks that pushed you farther away from the right path. Yet, you beat him, for once it looks like you have the upper hand now that you’re walking around the empty barn away from the town. But something doesn’t feel right, your guts are telling you something but you don’t listen, you can’t walk away now that you’re so close.

There’s not much to inspect, a few pieces of furniture, a disheveled mattress in the middle of the room, and a few chairs in a corner. It almost looks like an abandoned farm if only it wasn’t for the unnerving vibes that carries with it and for two walls that call your attention. On the right, there’s a map of Woodsboro, pins linked by a red thread, connecting all the places where Ghostface hit in these past months. Your hand quickly reaches the back of your pocket to pull out your phone and snap a picture, hoping there will also be places he didn’t go, and this time you can be faster at stopping him.

What’s on the other side is worse.

“What the fuck…” you mumble under your breath as you step closer to the wall. Polaroid pictures hanging from it, Ghostface and the victims, you guess, moments before they were brutally killed. You’re not surprised, one of the gifts he would leave on the scene of the crime being Polaroids, but they didn’t make much sense. “He’s a fucking psycho,” you scoff as you take another picture.

“Surpriiise!!”

Your phone falls on the floor with a loud thud and your heart jumps in your throat when his voice breaks the deafening silence in the room, but your reflections are swift enough to make you reach for your gun and turn around, shooting.

“Boo, fail,” Ghostface laughs, hitting your wrist hard enough to make the gun fall on the floor next to your phone. “You’re really not as smart as I thought you were, don’t you know intruding on someone else’s property is illegal?” he points out, pushing your body against the wall, the sharp blade of his knife grazing the skin of your neck.

You try to keep calm, deep slow breaths as you try to don’t look scared for your life. You might die today, but you won’t give him that satisfaction.

“Don’t look so frightened, my dear. I’m quite happy to have you all to myself,” he chuckles, his hand lifts to caress your face and you struggle to avoid it, but the click of his tongue makes you stop. “I wouldn’t act too careless, it’s sharp.”

You stop moving. You are smart, and you can get yourself out of this situation. “Do you want to play a game, Ghostface?” You ask, ignoring his taunts, the irony in your voice is clear, just like it’s blatant in the slow bat of your eyelashes, but your words only make him laugh.

“Oh, that’s not how it works, detective. That’s my line. You didn’t study the script?”

You scoff, trying to take time to free yourself. “We’re switching roles. Do you want to play a game? It’s called you turn yourself in and I put you in jail.”

He snickers, and his head tilts to have a better look at your face. He’s had many people in this position before and never saw so little fear in their eyes. “Now you want to act like you don’t love the chase?”

“Fuck you, I don’t love it,” you spit out, narrowing your eyes, desperately trying to get a glimpse of anything under the mask. Another failed attempt.

He laughs darkly, so deep it hits you to the core and makes you shiver — in fear or excitement, you’ll let this decide to your better judgment. “I know you do,” he coos as his thumb covered with the black glove caresses your lips. “Enjoy the little clues I leave you around? You were interested in the pictures, I knew you loved them, that’s why you get the prettiest ones. I tell you so much, but you don’t understand me,” his voice is calm, scarily calm, and full of sarcasm filled with a sweetness that feels like a slap across your face. “I was a bit mad it took you so long to find me.”

Rage shoots up inside of you, but you instantly push it down, you can’t lose your composure. “So, what are you going to do, kill me?” Your voice drops of a tone, and your eyes turn into a teasing gaze, making him chuckle.

“Talking about death so nonchalantly with me, mmh… are you brave or dumb? Because if you ask so nicely, I just might let the knife sink in.”

You laugh lightheartedly, putting up the best performance of your life before your eyes flutter seducingly at him. “No, please don’t kill me Mr. Ghostface, I wanna be in the sequel,” you coo, lips in a pout and innocence in your eyes, until you hit him with a swift, strong kick between his legs, the distraction of your performance giving you time to slip to the side, causing just a bit of your skin to cut and bleed.

“Bitch,” he mutters under his breath as he kneels to the ground. You reach for your gun, but barely have time to grab it before he pushes you on the floor again. “We were having so much fun, you just have to ruin everything.”

You’re waiting for the worst when he traps you on the floor with his body on yours, but his arms don’t lift to stab you in your chest or stomach, the last thing you see before passing out is his hand lifting in the air and the sting of a needle pushing past your skin.

The white light of the room feels like staring directly at the sun when your eyes blink repeatedly as you try to come back to earth and push away the hammering of your headache. You groan hoarsely, trying to adjust to the light, but the biggest discomfort comes from your shoulders, pushed behind your back and around the chair you’re now sitting on.

“Sorry, I had to tie you up, but you’re a bit feisty today. Didn’t want you to get hurt,” Ghostface replies to your silent questions — not so silent, considering how loud you’re groaning and struggling on the chair, trying to break free. He’s standing in front of you, but a chair is right behind him so you guess he was sitting there before you woke up.

“You can’t even take one down without a fight? Need to kill me without breaking a sweat?” You taunt, eyes dark and a deep frown on your forehead.

But your teasing seems to leave him unfazed as he walks toward you with a glass in hand. “Drink.”

You scoff, staring at him. You hate that you can’t see him, not even because you want to find out who’s hiding under there, but also because you feel like you can’t confront him well enough. “You think I’m so stupid to accept a drink from a psycho?”

His head rolls back followed by an annoyed sigh as he stops right in front of you. His black boots bumping against yours. “You know that’s not how I move, no fun in killing with these shortcuts. Drink. I would never want you to pass out here,” he coos while his free hand pushes your hair out of your face. You can’t see behind the mask, but you know he has a shit-eating grin on his face. He moves the glass to your lips, but you turn to the side, he doesn’t give you a choice when he strongly grips your chin, pushing your lips open, and forces the water down your throat. “Oops, it spilled all over, you’re so messy, detective,” he snickers when water drips on your chin and shirt. As if he didn’t do it on purpose.

“Asshole,” you mutter, eyes closing into fissures while you look at him. His head tilts, “Oh, brave. I could slit your throat right now, add you to the collection.”

You chuckle darkly, shaking your head. “You won’t,” you say firmly. “You’ve never had someone quite as fun as me.”

A low laughter escapes from the mask. “So, you are at least a bit smart?” His hand places on your thigh and you try to move away, but the chair screeches on the floor, and his hold only tightens.

“Don’t play games now. Don’t fake it,” he groans, hand moving up on your blue jeans. “You enjoyed our last conversation,” he whispers, the mask close to your face, so close you can almost see his eyes behind the blackness of the two holes. “Had shivers run down your back when the phone rang in the middle of the night, haven’t you? You sat up straight in your big bed, all alone, and felt fear take over. Never answer unknown numbers. That’s what they say, that’s what you say, running around town, warning everyone about me,” he laughs deeply. “And then look at you, picking up that phone call, eager to hear my voice on the other side.”

“You’re a psycho,” you spit out, struggling against the restrainers. But once again it is an act; he is a psycho, but you are starting to fear you aren’t much different.

He chuckles darkly. “Oh, I am, never denied that. But don’t act better than me. You stood right in front of that window, stripping for me, touching yourself for me, moaning��for me. How fucked up that is?” He snickers. “You have fucked up fantasies, my pretty detective, but I’m not one to judge. I’d gladly help.”

You laugh quietly, trying to look confident but it comes out shaky from your throat, “If you want to help, take the mask off and show me who you are.”

“Wow, wow, darling. Not so soon, I’m not one to burn stages in a relationship. What next? Want to meet my mom?”

You inhale sharply, and spit on him, “God, you’re insane.” Your eyes snap open when he pulls out of his back the sharp knife, your breath is stuck in your throat and fear runs all over your body. And once again you regret how impulsive you are. You did well all these past years of training and then on the first real-life experiences at pushing this side of you in the cage, but it looks like it’s coming out like a beast that’s been trapped too long.

“Don’t be so scared,” he huffs, the fake sympathy in his voice should make you mad but it triggers something else inside of you, and you hate to admit that he might be right, you’re enjoying this more than you should, you’re enjoying this entire chase more than you should. It’s like a game, but it’s not when real people are dying. “I would never hurt you,” his voice is raspy, slightly muffled by the ghost mask he’s wearing, and the knife sits on your sternum. “I hope you didn’t like this shirt too much, detective.”

You don’t have time to react, the steel cuts your shirt neatly, the sound bouncing in the small room and the sharp tip brushing your skin. You shiver, gulping hard and closing your eyes, already feeling the sensation of it cutting through you, but it doesn’t happen.

He clicks his tongue and shakes his head disappointingly. “You truly don’t trust me. I’m offended, and I don’t like when people offend me. Just like I don’t like when they hang up the phone while we’re playing. If people were respectful, I wouldn’t have to kill them, you know?” You stare at him with a furrow on your face, you’d like to take the mask off and see his eyes, not really to find out who’s hiding underneath that mask, but to see if his gaze is as insane as you imagine it to be.

“Let me go,” you say, the skin of your wrist bruised from the pressure you’re applying against the ropes.

“Don’t struggle too much, it turns me on,” he warns, kneeling at your level. He smiles softly and thinks it’s a pity you can’t see it, you’re just so pretty, with your beautiful face filled with different emotions and your eyes looking at him with a gaze that wants to be threatening but it’s all the opposite, almost making you look like a lost puppy.

“Why?”

“Why? It’s funny to see the victim beg for their life, it makes you feel powerful, you could show mercy, but you don’t,” the smug smile on his hidden face can be heard in his voice and you shiver at how cold he sounds, the shrug of his shoulder is just the cherry on top to his unhinged behaviour.

“So, you’re just going to keep me here?”

“No, I want to play with you. Do you want to play a game, detective?”

Your gaze falls on your thighs where his hand is placed again, the black gloves preventing it from leaving traces behind, as it slowly moves closer to your heat.

You snicker, pretending to play it cool, but your breath twitches at the contact. “’Cause if I said no you would stop?”

“Hey, I’m a killer, not a rapist,” he defends, shrugging. Yet, you still don’t reply, and he doesn’t like that. “So? I’m not so patient when I ask people if they want to play with me, so don’t test me.”

You swallow hard, swiftly looking around to see if you can pull a move on him. Damnit, it’s your chance to get him and throw him in jail but instead, you’re seriously thinking about his proposal. You fool yourself that you’re only doing this because maybe he could slip, maybe he could say something in the heat of the moment that could give you a clue, or he could leave his traces on you somehow, maybe his mask could fall, but you know you’re feeling something else. Attraction.

“I said,” he mutters, his face comes closer to yours, making you pull back, and the knife pushes flat in the hollow of your chest, “do you want to play a game, detective?”

“Yes, yes, I do,” you mutter, starting to breathe again when he pulls the knife away.

“Good, I love playing with you.” His fingers move to unbutton your jeans and then pull the zip down, you look at him attentively. “Lift your hips for me, love?”

You glare at him at the pet name but he only chuckles deeply. “What? If I’m rough with you, you get mad, if I’m sweet with you, you get mad. I can never win, can I?”

You huff, deciding it’s better to not reply and just do as he says. Your pants are quickly at your ankles and suddenly you feel even more trapped than before now that you can’t even move your legs, but his touch on your naked skin takes you away from that thought.

“Pretty panties just for me?” He coos, tilting his head to the side as he stares at your burgundy panties with the lace trim. “Were you hoping to find me here so we could finish what we started on the phone?”

“Shut up, this is not for you,” you retort, your forehead creasing with a furrow.

“And who is it for?” He asks, cupping your pussy, watching your body shiver. “Oh, no, please don’t tell me there’s a boyfriend I’m not aware of. I’d hate to kill him.”

You bite your lips and keep the contact with the mask, but words struggle to come out when his index finger starts rubbing on your clit, moving from the slit —where you can feel you’re starting to get wet— to your sensitive nub. “It’s not for you,” you repeat, trying to don’t show how much his touch is affecting you.

“Well, you want me to work so hard too, I’ll have to find out on my own if someone is playing with what’s mine,” he replays nonchalantly. “I know where to find you, maybe I’ll come visit again.”

“You talk so much for someone who wants to play so badly,” you retort, a teasing grin curling your lips.

“Sorry, I didn’t know my princess was so eager,” he replies, saccharine voice filled with mockery, before a harsh slap lands on your pussy making you jolt and whimper. “Want my fingers?”

The glare you give him would be enough to kill him; isn’t this pathetic enough? How much more does he want you to humiliate yourself?

He rolls his head back and then the knife is against your neck again. “Do we have to do this every time I ask you a question? Do you want my fingers, detective?”

“Yes,” you whisper. Your body relaxes momentarily before tensing up with excitement again, but it quickly shifts to disappointment. “What are you doing?” You ask when his covered fingers press against you again.

“Oh, you’ll get the gloves too, I’m not dumb, you know? Don’t leave fingerprints on dead bodies, won’t even leave them on yours,” his voice is smug, all the confidence of someone who didn’t make a wrong move and somehow was always ahead of you and the police department.

You hate him. You hate he’s so much better than you at this. And you hate him even more now that he has you fighting whimpers and moans.

“Are you seriously going to pretend you don’t like this while your hips are bucking up?” He taunts, clicking his tongue in a mock. “Think moaning is more pathetic than humping my fingers like a bitch in heat?”

Your mouth opens to retort but you can’t deny the evidence; your hips are rolling against his hand, chasing for more, your panties are darkening as your wetness leaks through the fabric and your chest is heaving in erratic motions.

“Look at me,” he sings, hand moving up to graze your neck, thumb pressing on your carotid, making your head snap up. “You listen so swiftly when you fear for your life. It’s funny, you know, because I truly would never hurt you.”

You chuckle, shaking your head, trying to pull away from his hold when his hand moves up to caress your jaw. The gentleness of his touch is even scarier than when he has his knife pointed against you. “Is this what turns you on? The fear in their eyes?”

His head tilts to the side, shoulders lifting in a shrug. “Partially. But not in your case, what turns me on with you it’s the chase, and the fact I always win.”

You scoff bitterly, struggling in his hold but his hand quickly grips your chin and pulls you closer. “Didn’t you see the movies? The villain always dies.”

“If the heroine is not busy getting fucked by him,” he mocks, squeezing your face harder and moving his fingers faster on your clit. Your head rolls back and so do your eyes while a chocked moan leaves your lips. “See, I doubt you will shoot me in the head if you keep moaning like this.”

You groan angrily, you’re madder at you than you are at him. You want him and it’s so wrong that you do, but there’s not even a siren ringing in your head, telling you to make this stop.

“No, shh, shh, angel, it’s fine, this will be our little secret,” he whispers to your ear, the mask rubbing against your face, and when your eyes turn to look at him, you can see small dots of blood on the white varnish. “We could play another game: one secret for you, and one secret for me. If you behave, maybe I’ll reveal myself to you, if you promise to keep it to yourself.”

Your teeth sink into your lips harder when he delivers another harsh slap on your clit before resuming his quick movements. “Just — just tell me if I know you,” you mumble. You know he will never reveal himself, but maybe you can get something more, anything to complete the missing pieces of the puzzle.

He chuckles darkly, staring at a spot behind you as he pretends to think. “Mhh, we’ve met.”

You frown and your heart jumps in your throat for a moment at the thought you’ve seen him. “Only met?”

“We talked,” he adds, finally letting go of your face, making you breathe normally again.

Your eyes widen while your brain hurts as you try to quickly connect the dots, and find out who’s hiding underneath the mask, you just have to put a face on a voice — even if distorted, but you can’t. And suddenly realization slumps on you.

“Will it — will it break my heart?”

He snickers under his breath as he looks into your sad eyes, you’re looking at him like a dog when it’s being scolded, but in this case, you’re also silently praying he’s not someone close to you. He has no idea why that would make you feel better, if you care more about Ghostface or whoever is hiding under the mask, but it doesn’t matter, and he mocks you again, mimicking you in a high-pitched voice. “Will it hurt if I was someone close to you? A colleague? A friend? A lover?”

Your breath gets faster. Will it? Would you turn him in or defend him? And you can’t stand you’re even questioning it, of course you’ll turn him in, that’s your job, but most importantly, your duty. But will you? You could be doing it now, and you’re not.

“See? It’s not as funny if you know me,” he laughs at your face, your thoughts so loud he could get a headache. “It’s not as exciting, you love the thrill of this too, more than you like to admit.”

“Fuck,” you curse when his other hand cups your covered breast, it’s a harsh tug and the leather feels weird on your skin, yet, it makes you clasp your thighs and forget what was tormenting your morals, again.

“They’re so perfect, I can’t believe you always keep them hidden under those ugly clothes,” he pouts, giving it another hard squeeze. “Sorry.”

“For what — what the fuck?” You scream when he cuts your bra with the knife, first the middle and then the straps, the matching burgundy bra falling in pieces on the bottom of the chair.

“It was getting in the way, and I don’t like things that get in my way. I cut them off,” in his voice lingers a hysterical laugh that makes you shiver, and in times like this, you’re glad you can’t see his face.

You gulp and automatically close your legs.

“Not you,” he reassures you, forcing your thighs open again with a smack, “you entertain me. And you suck at your job, so it’s clear you also don’t get in the way.”

“I’m good at my job and I will get you and put you behind bars —”

“Uh, uh,” he clicks his tongue, knife under your jaw before you can even finish the sentence, silencing you in an instant. “We were having so much fun, don’t ruin it, babe.”

You swallow and look down following the path he’s tracing with the knife, goosebumps bloom on your skin and you hold your breath when it gets closer to your neck, only releasing it when the blade sits in the hollow of your chest.

“It’s so funny how you shake like a leaf, I’m a professional,” he says, sounding almost offended. And you furrow, is he talking about the knife or his fingers? “Both, love.”

Another groan leaves your lips before he moves the crotch to the side and the cold air of the room hits your burning core. You’ve never been so ashamed your entire life, you shouldn’t be an open book to him, you shouldn’t be so malleable in his hands, it’s pathetic and humiliating.

“You’re so fucking wet. I’m quite pissed I can’t run to the police department and let them know how much I turn you on. I can already see the disappointment on their faces,” he taunts, the slick sound of his gloves against your dripping pussy burns your body in shame and excitement.

“Don’t you dare,” you spit out, but you don’t sound so menacing since your voice breaks, and a pathetically high-pitched moan rolls from your tongue right after.

“I said I’m not going to, I keep my promises,” he kneels to the ground, one hand keeping you spread more and the other is still busy taking care of you. “Maybe if you promise you won’t shoot or put me in handcuffs right away when you’ll find out who I am, I can eat you out. I bet you let out the prettiest moans when you have someone between your legs.”

Your head rolls back, and you hiss. “You wish,” you retort through gritted teeth, but a part of you dies to know what that would be like. “I will never give you the satisfaction.”

He laughs mockingly. “Maybe I should blindfold you and do it now, will you recognize me by that?” At those words your body tenses up, head standing straight again as you look down at him with terror in your eyes. “What?” He asks in a giggle, surprised by your reaction. “You’re fucking with me right now, I still have blood on me. Would that be the most problematic thing? Having fucked with me before? Without this mask?”

“You’re just messing with me,” you mutter but your brain is trying to think, the list of the people you’ve been with is not that long, he can’t be so stupid to out himself like that, right?

“Maybe… I love it when I can see you think,” he whispers. “Usually, you have your hands in your hair, pulling at it even if you just washed it or spent hours styling it, and then you nervously bite your right thumb, somehow there’s always a hangnail to pull until it bleeds, oh, and you also nervously walk back and forth, two steps forward, two steps back. It’s cute, really. You have no fucking clue how to stop this, but you look so into it, chasing after me… well, so you think because, let’s be honest, you’re only chasing after your tail.”

You can’t believe he knows all of this, how close to you is he? And a few names start popping into your mind, but for each face that you see, your only answer is it can’t be.

“Why are you surprised? I told you, I love watching you,” he says, voice scarily soft even through the distortion of the mask. “You’re very pretty, detective. When you work hard to catch me, and even more when you screw it all up to moan for me.”

“Ugh,” you groan through gritted teeth, wrist rubbing against the rope keeping you in place and hips bucking up, anger and pleasure mixing like a drug in your brain. You hate to admit it, but you’re close and you doubt you can push back your climax any longer.

“It’s alright, love, I told you, I won’t judge you,” he hums. He studies your face for a moment, admiring how your teeth trap your lips in the vain attempt to don’t truly show how much you’re enjoying this, but your eyes are filled with lust, lightly glassy, and your cum is painting his gloves white. “Now, will you come for me?”

He doesn’t have to tell you twice, your body shutters as the orgasm washes over you, the quick movements of his fingers on your sensitive clit making your nails dig into the palm of your hands while your moans slip out of you freely. Your morality disappears, getting dragged away with the orgasm that consumes you before leaving.

You forget where you are for a moment, or to be more precise, with who you are with, as you let your head roll back, close your eyes and take deep breaths, waiting for the high to pass.

The thing doesn’t bother Ghostface, though, he sees enough fear in people’s eyes, he likes it better when you stop pretending and relax around him. That’s the thrilling thing about you, you are the most entertaining game he has ever played. With all the others he knows how it will end, their lifeless bodies laying in a pool of their own blood and the sirens of the police going off in the background as he blends in with the crowd, but with you? It’s unknown. Like a Russian roulette.

He’d love to shred all your clothes off, but he knows you’d have to spill your guts (not literally) if you walk out of there completely naked, and he’s sure the version you would tell the police would add another crime to his name. So, he takes your shoes off and then pulls your pants down.

Your laugh makes him raise his face and stare at you. “What’s so funny, dollface?”

You shrug, wetting your lips. “You scare me more when you act all sweet, you know?”

He scoffs, standing up again, and caressing your face. “You want me to hurt you so badly. I could carve a heart right here,” he presses the tip of the blade next to your heart, tracing the shape of a heart, causing goosebumps to appear on your skin. “It would look so pretty on you, and you will always carry me with you. Isn’t it nice? Couple goals.”

You raise a brow at him, he doesn’t even realize it, but he’s giving away so much of his personality, even if you don’t find it out now, you’re pretty positive all of this is leading you somewhere. You shake your head quickly, trying not to show how hard you’re thinking about your plan. “I only want one thing from you, and you know what it is.”

He chuckles, leaning next to your ear. “My dick.”

“Oh, fuck off,” you curse, accidentally kicking him now that your legs are free to move. You suck your breath in, fearing your move, even if involuntary, might piss him off.

He hisses but doesn’t do anything else. “Don’t get all bratty here, doll. You said you wanted to play a game, and we’re going to play it until the end.”

When he cuts your panties and balls them in his fist, saying “keeping them as a souvenir,” with a grin that can be heard in his voice, you only reply with an “asshole.”

Once again, he doesn’t pay your insults any mind, and you wonder why he’s so nice to you. Should you fear it? Will you be his last victim, getting the worst death of them all because he needs to put on a show? “Now I will untie you, if you play any trick on me… you know how it ends.”

You nod quickly, watching him disappear from your view as he stands behind you. You inhale when the knife places against your neck again and roll your eyes back. “You don’t have to do this every time, you know?”

“It turns you on,” he retorts firmly. “And I need to make sure you don’t do any funny business.”

Your eyes roll back again but you try to relax anyway and keep still when your wrists are finally free. Your shoulders are in a more comfortable position again as you subtly roll them to ease up. “Get up,” he orders, and you follow, moving carefully because the blade is still close to your body and you don’t want to end up dead on the floor. “Good, now lay on the mattress.”

Your face twists in disgust when you’re reminded of the mattress on the floor, but he pushes you forward.

“We didn’t kill anybody there.”

You stop, turning around swiftly, and his reflections are rapid enough that he doesn’t push the knife into your chest. “We?”

“Oh… it didn’t click yet…” He laughs darkly at your expression, the whole world falling on your shoulders as you wonder how could you be so stupid to not realize it. “Sorry, love. But hey, aren’t you happy I helped you out?”

You glare at him but then bring your hand to your hair and your thumb to your lips. Of course, there are two of them, that’s the only way they could always be so headed of you.

“Not the right moment to think about that,” he warns, voice dropping lower, making you stop your nervous ticks. “Get on the bed.”

You turn around again, suddenly aware that he’s completely covered and you’re bare. That thought makes you seek the cover of the mattress more, and swiftly you’re laying where he wants you. But it also turns you on, being so exposed to him while he’s giving you not even a peak of who’s under the mask and the clothes send chills down your body and more cum drips out you.

“Promise you’ll be good? We can play cat and mouse later if you want to,” he asks, the blade running flat on your boobs, making him chuckle darkly when your nipples harden at the contact and your hips buck up. “You promise, detective?” He repeats with urge when you don’t reply, too busy watching the knife move on your body as he pins you down.

“Promise,” you reply, looking into the blackness of the eyes of the mask.

He chuckles under the mask, and you watch him unbuckle his pants. You could easily grab the weapon that’s on your stomach and stab him, you could even un-mask him, but you lay still, almost mesmerized. And the conscience inside of you likes to remind you how fucked up you and your morals are, but you brush it off, shaking your head quickly.

“Turn around,” he orders, but you hesitate. That’s too much vulnerability. It’s clear he doesn’t like your hesitation when he groans, grabbing the knife and pushing it aside. “God, I have to do everything with you,” he sighs as he forcefully flips you on your stomach before his legs trap you again. This time you can’t do anything even if you want to, but once again, you don’t want to.

“Fuck,” he moans, hands cupping your full ass and squeezing hard, the firm hold eliciting a moan from you. “Look at you, so fucking pretty. Keep your head down, don’t try to even get a peak,” he warns, and your immediate reaction is to turn around to understand what’s going on, but you know better, so you press your face into the pillow and only when you hear the loud sound of a spit and a glob of saliva drip between your folds you understand what happened. “Not that it was needed, you’re dripping. But you know, I like to get messy at times.”

You turn your face around, resting your head on the pillow, and bite your lips. The smugness and insanity of his voice causing more cum to ooze out of your pussy.

“I want to feel you so bad,” he hums, spreading your cunt, making you feel so exposed, “but will you run to the police? Will you tell them ‘oh no, I had to fuck Mr. Ghostface to have a bit of his DNA and save the town from this psycho’?” he mocks with a high-pitched voice, it doesn’t sound like you at all, more like a hopeless, brain-dead, blonde girl that dies within the first minutes of any horror movie.

You snicker. “You underestimate me, I could say I got those traces from somewhere else.”

“But will you? Also, I’m pretty sure they will find traces of you too. How humiliating would that be? Come on, honey, I won’t blackmail you, but you will screw yourself over? That’s not very smart of you.”

He’s right, you hate that he’s right. You will have to out yourself in the process of trying to turn him in. “I — I won’t.”

Deep down he knows you won’t, there’s no way they won’t trace it back at you too, and he also knows you won’t try to play the victim when you’re not, but he needs to be conscious, one wrong step and you could turn the game around. As much as he likes to mock you, he knows you’re smart and have been close to discovering them a few times, it was a matter of luck, and they were extremely lucky.

“Better safe than in jail,” he chuckles darkly, you don’t even try to peer around, and only listen to the plastic of the condom rip.

You whimper when you feel the tip against your slit, and you hide your face in the pillow as if that could change the reality of what you’re willingly doing. You’re too excited to be so ashamed of your actions, but, even if some may argue your morality is nowhere to be found, it still feels like a big balloon hovering over you.

You shiver when you feel the mask rest on your shoulder, “Nah, ah, angel, no being ashamed now. I told you I don’t like rude people, so don’t be rude and ask me nicely to fuck you.”

The urge to slap him is stronger than anything else, but once again your greed makes him win. “Please… please fuck me.”

“Not what I want to hear, you know what I want. We practiced the other night, haven’t we?” He reminds you, a hand creeping around your neck, holding tight enough to make buzzes of fear run through your bones.

You close your eyes, inhaling as deeply as you can while trying to find the courage to humiliate yourself one last time, but then the words slip out, “Please, fuck me, Ghostface,” and the air gets knocked out of your lungs when he pushes into you. It’s a strong, deep thrust that fills you to the brim and knocks you over. Your head falls against the pillow again while his loud groan fills your ears, “Fuck, it sounds so good from your lips.”

“Oh, fuck,” you curse through gritted teeth when he starts moving right away, barely giving you time to adjust to the feeling, thick dick grazing your insides and strong hands wrapping around your waist tightly.

“Is it too much for you, detective? My sweet little angel can’t take it?”

A groan slips past your lips, you try to stand up on your elbows, but he pushes you down. His body presses against your back and you feel trapped again. “Don’t move. I will fuck you so deep into this mattress that I will feel your scent for days after this. I want your face smashed against the pillow, I want it to be wet with your ruined makeup and tears, got it? ”

You nod quickly, shoulders dropping as you slump against the mattress. His breathing next to your ear makes you shiver, and you wonder if that’s the last thing the non-so-lucky people have met him heard before dying. But you push it away, for the sake of your sanity, you have to fool yourself that you’re not so attracted to a bloody murderer, that your morals are still intact, and that you are a good person.

It’s pathetic how all the anger you feel disappears with each calculated thrust, pleasure getting to your brain so quickly you stop holding back. Soft whimpers and moans roll out of your tongue and unconsciously your ass grinds back into him.

“Fuck, that’s what I want to hear,” he hums, standing up while his hands wrap around your waist. He never wanted to burn those gloves so badly, feeling the urge to feel your burning skin and mark you with his bare hands, but he can’t risk it. That doesn’t mean he can’t leave marks in other ways. One hand leaves your hips and cups your boob, eliciting a broken moan from you. “Have I told you they’re so pretty?”

“Mhh,” you mumble, eyes closing as he pinches down on your nipple. You wish you could say it hurt you but instead, it makes you clench hard around him, cum leaking out more with each pinch on your delicate, sensitive buds.

“Shit, you really are into pain,” he comments, there’s mockery in his voice —like always— but there’s also a genuine surprise. “Who would’ve thought, my innocent detective is way more fucked in the head than I thought.”

“I — I’m not,” you retort, groaning and forcing your eyes open, but the deep chuckle that rumbles in his chest makes you quiver, and your attitude drops in a moment.

“Honey,” he slurs, voice dipped in honey, “you’re letting Ghostface fuck you dumb, you are fucked in the head.”

You shake your head quickly, but he’s had enough of your lies. The rough tug at your hair makes you let out a choked gasp as your head is lifted from the pillow. “I know you better than anyone else, angel,” he groans, mask pressed against your hot face. “I know your dirty, little secrets. I know what runs into that dirty, little mind of yours. You can’t lie to me,” he almost purrs, a low chuckle making shame fire up inside of you, “and I can feel you, princess. Squeezing me, barely allowing me to pull out to fuck back into you. Fuck — I should feel you right now, no stupid rubber between us.”

Another broken moan slips from your lips when he roughly lets go of the hold on you, your fingers clench hard around the thin sheet under you, and your hips jerk up even more. It’s like you want to feel him more, to have him imprint himself deep into you, so far under your skin that you won’t be able to wash him off, and you don’t even know why you feel like this. Why it made you feel like this a week prior too, all the hesitation and fear as you picked up the phone and heard his breathy, distorted voice, flying out of the window the moment he started ordering you around. But was it truly an order when your only hesitation came from the fear of judgement, and you could only feel your body tingle with excitement? Sitting in front of the window, having no idea where he was hiding, putting on a show for the killer you swore you hated and making yourself come the hardest you’ve ever done.

“It makes you feel special, doesn’t it? The way you’re the only exception. The only one I would never hurt.” His voice is lower, hitting you to the core, making your toes curl and your breath falter in your chest. “You’re like a daisy in a garden of bloody, red roses.”

“Please,” you breathe out, choking on your tongue, eyes fluttering open shyly.

“Want me to stop?” He coos, head cocking to the side as he lands a sharp slap on your asscheek that makes you hiccup on a whimper and then another to your boob that drags a louder cry out of you. “Don’t want to hear how special you are?”

But that’s not what you meant. Your pleads were about something else, something you struggle to confess.

A deep laugh resonates in his chest as he looks down at your already wrecked face. You’re so precious, he can’t believe you sometimes think he could hurt you. His prettiest game, his wildest fantasy. The thrill he feels in his bones every time he’s close to you, so, so near to being discovered and yet always safe. It’s exciting, getting to his brain so much he can hardly hide how much it turns him on. But you’ve never been this close before. He dreamed about fucking you, having you pressed under him, begging, moaning and crying as his dick hit deep into your sweet pussy, pounding into you over and over again until you were nothing but mush in his hands. He wanted to strip you down completely and leave nothing of the women he sees and admires every single day. He dreamed of having all this power over you, watching you get weak on your knees and let him do anything he wanted, watching your body convulse in pleasure and your brain empty. And here you are now; wet, fucked-out eyes looking up at him while your pretty, plump mouth opens and closes as your shut-down brain tries hard to find the words.

“Speak up, princess. I don’t like to wait.”

“Please, wa-want to feel you,” you slur in a whisper, eyes blinking lazily as you try to hold onto what’s left of your sanity.

He chuckles, his thrusts coming to a stop that makes you whine in disappointment. “You want me to fuck you raw, detective?”

You hum, nodding slowly, not for the lack of enthusiasm but for the amount of shame that’s looming over you like a tornado. But Ghostface doesn’t like your silences, he doesn’t like it when you hesitate, that’s not what turns him on about you. It’s your impulses, the way you jump into things headfirst without thinking, for some it may be dumb, but to him, it’s just that sprinkle of insane bravery that makes life exciting. Your head is yanked up again with a rough pull of your hair, but his hold quickly moves to your neck. “I thought we were over the phase where I have to drag the words out of your mouth, detective. I’ll ask nicely one last time, do you want me to fuck you raw?”

You swallow your pride and reply meekly, “Ye-yes.”

He chuckles, pulling out of you almost completely before sinking in again with no warning, knocking the air out of your lungs, air that’s already struggling to fill them as his hold on your neck doesn’t loosen up. “See? It wasn’t that hard, was it? Even your stupid brain could put two words together.”

You gasp for air when he finally lets go and your face sinks on the pillow again.

“I’d love to, but I won’t risk it. Maybe next time, maybe if I’ll ever feel like telling you who I am,” he replies, and you groan in disappointment. Not only he doesn’t give you what you want but he also mocks you, reminding you why you’re here and how your mission flushed down the toilet as you let him play you like a violin.

“Then — fuck — please, fuck me harder,” at this point you want him to fuck you so hard your brain will just unplug and your superego can stop nagging at the back of your mind. You don’t want a single thought in your brain, just pleasure and lust.

“That I can give it to you,” he hums happily, and in a second, he complies. His hips start snapping against you at a fast speed, his tip hitting you deep repeatedly as he keeps you arched back with one hand around your waist and the other one wrapped around the makeshift ponytail he made with your hair.

You can already feel the orgasm build up at the tip of your stomach, but it only worsens when Ghostface roughly pulls you flat against him. Your head falls behind on his shoulder, eyes rolled far in your skull as your lips hang open to let out desperate moans and suck in as much air as possible.

“You’re so fucking pretty like this,” he moans, his thumb rubs against your neck and jaw while his right hand squeezes and pulls your boobs hard before pinching the nipples. “Listen to those pretty sounds you make,” he snickers, “and you still want to pretend you’re innocent and pure? You’re fucked up just like me, baby, that’s why I like you so much,” he slurs.

You blink, once again adjusting to the light is uncomfortable but you make out just in time the fact he’s holding a Polaroid camera. “Smile for the camera, babe,” his voice rings in your ears but doesn’t reach your brain and before you know it, you’re coming just like that. The look on your face is not a smile but an expression of blissed pleasure, the exact moment as the climax explodes inside of you, making you clench around his dick and shake in his arms, your arm twisting back, letting your hand claps on his bicep and sink your nail in the thick fabric of the black cloak.

Ghostface would like to say he’s disappointed and scold you for misbehaving, but he can only stare at you with amused disbelief written all over his face. But you only see the constant expression of the mask and once again, you fear for a second he’s mad at you. Truth be told, he could even kill you right now, you wouldn’t mind much or even notice, too lost in the pleasure that’s still looming on your body.

“Fuck,” he mutters, hips slowing down until they stop completely, “you just gifted me the most precious pic in my collection,” he whispers. You feel like the edge of mockery is still persistent but at the same time something genuine lingers in it, it doesn’t make it less creepy, but the ‘fuck me harder method’ worked because you don’t question his, and yours, fucked morality and just smile dumbly.

And that smile, united with the slow bat of your wet eyelashes, is what he needs to lose it.

“Oh, fuck it, I’ll clean you up once we’re done and if you’ll try to turn me in, I’ll find out, so you better keep your promise, alright?”

You don’t get what he’s talking about right away, too fucked out as you lay on the mattress waiting for his next move, but when he pulls out of you and swiftly pulls the condom out, you get it. You bite your lips in anticipation and swing your hips in invitation.

The sight would be enough to make him come right there, and he damns himself because out of all people, you can’t be his biggest weakness. It got to be some fucking joke of destiny. “Will you go to the police?”

“No,” you mumble.

“Good girl, because these little games are just for us, me and you, you can’t use what we do here to help you with your case.” When he sinks inside of you again, he feels like he could lose it all for the way your wet, warm walls wrap around him. “Fuck, fuck,” he curses, voice even more distorted now that he murmurs through gritted teeth, “you feel so fucking good.”

His thrusts now are almost primal, desperately pounding you against the mattress, keeping you pinned down with a hand on the back of your head —not that you need that, you wouldn’t be able to hold your neck up even if you wanted to— and holding for dear life on your hips with the other. You’ll probably have some bruises by the end of the night, if not colored prints on your skin, surely light discomfort at the touch will follow you for a few days. And you almost want to beg him for more, to mark you in some other ways, to leave something just for you to see and carry with you. Sick and perverted thoughts cross your mind, and you push them away swiftly.

You bite down on your lips when his hand leaves your side to torture your nipples again, he can barely push his hand between your body and the mattress, but he has just enough space to play with your sensitive nipples, making them even harder and causing you to clench even more around him. He loves how sensitive you are there and how each rub, pinch, and slap has you easily squirming and moaning under him.

“Look at you, going all dumb on my cock,” he groans, mockingly giving one harsh slap to your tits before his fingers trace your cheek. Your skin is so hot he can almost feel it through the fabric separating you, but what he’s most fascinated about are your tears, black mascara running down your beautiful face, dying on the pillow and your tortured parted lips. “Are you still thinking about being better than me or — fuck — have you finally embraced your dark side?”

Not a word comes out of your mouth when you whimper back, and not even a thought crosses your mind.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he grins smugly. “You know,” he breathes out, head thrown back as it gets harder and harder to contain the orgasm, but he doesn’t want it to end so soon, “you should fire yourself and be my toy, just my toy, every time I need you, everywhere I need you. You’d love that, wouldn’t you? It’d make you feel even more special.”

You mumble a weak reply, it’s a whispered ‘no,’ but your body doesn’t deny how much the thought turns you on. Too many responsibilities in your life and your job, too much to carry daily, but right now? Nothing. Guilt will eat you alive tomorrow but not now. Something feels exciting about being on the run with him, being the one that runs, instead of the one that chases. But it won’t happen, you believe in your job, and you want this slasher to end.

“Cause only I can get you like this, ugh,” he grunts, hips slamming faster but more sloppily against your ass, the vulgar sounds filling up the room. “No man before and no man after will make you come this hard. Nobody, love. No matter how much you’ll want to, they all will disappoint you and you will look for me in every single one of them,” he groans, each word punctuated by a harsh slam of his hips, “well, the lucky ones that will get a taste before I’ll get them and kill them.”

You don’t reply, just lay there, looking like a mess as you try to fight another orgasm because coming again would be humiliating.

“It turns you on, doesn’t it?” You can hear the grin on his face and his voice has the edge of insanity of the usual. “Let’s be honest, you’ve got a list of shitty partners, you would’ve been grateful if I got rid of some of them.”

“Fuck, just — just fuck me,” you beg, your hand reaching behind to touch him somehow, but he doesn’t like it.

He grips your hand and pins it behind your back bending your arm, you hiss in discomfort, but he doesn’t let go. “Oh, no, angel. You don’t make the rules in this game, I do. If I want to sink into your brain and get so deep into you that I’ll make sure you will never come out the same, I will. I’m the darkest side of yourself, the fucked up filth you’re too afraid to face,” he groans. “And I know you’re close again. Your tight cunt is squeezing me, and you made a mess on the mattress,” he snickers. “Imagine if they find this place, this mattress, your DNA on it,” he stops, leaning next to your ear, voice dropping lower, “or better, imagine if they find us now. What do you say, detective? Would they be disappointed? Would they just jack off at the view? You look so hot right now, I wouldn’t blame them if they’d get off to you, to us together. Kill them surely, blame them not. We’re so hot, detective.”

You squirm under him, feeling like the room is spinning fast and you can’t ground on anything. You have a darker thought in mind, something you can’t confess to him or else he won’t stop mocking you. You want to get caught, but not by your colleagues, by his partner. What would he do if he saw you and his partner in crimes like this? Would he understand this, or would he snap? Maybe even feeling betrayed. Does he even know you and him have been playing this game of attraction for a while now?

Your silence doesn’t make Ghostface suspect anything. You simply look totally fucked out, brain empty as you plead in soft whimpers and moans.

“You sound so fucking good,” he praises. “Why don’t we play another little game, uh?”

Your eyes open in surprise and you hum with no strength, “what?”

“Beg me to save your life,” he says, grabbing the knife again and placing it close to your neck. “Come on, do it for me, I won’t ever hear you say it because I will never want to kill you. Please, detective,” he coos, hips slowing down because your pussy is fogging his brain and he’s not sure his always-perfect aim and reflexes will work right now.

You take a deep breath and then speak. “Please, Ghostface, please, spare my life.”

His head rolls back, and a deep, groggy moan comes out of his lips. “Fuck, yes, keep going,” he orders, hips picking up the rhythm again as he skillfully flips the blade to the lesser sharp side just to be safe.

And you obey. You beg, choked-up words slipping from your lips that soon turn into please, fuck me harder, and then please, wanna come. You feel boneless, your body is too hot, and you feel you might pass out, you need a release and then hope something bigger than you will make you get back on your legs and walk out of there as if nothing happened, as if you never followed your guts and found his —their— safe haven.

“Come for me, love,” he orders, throwing the knife to the side before his hand sneaks under your body to roughly slap your clit a few times, enjoying the louder moans he drags out of you by doing so and watching with pleasure as your body squirms and shakes. “And don’t forget to smile for the camera.”

This time your eyes lock with the polaroid that he points toward your face as his chin rests on your shoulder. But it only lasts for the time of the picture, your body collapses again when he lets go of your hair and you let the pleasure pervade you from head to toe. It’s breathtaking and mind-blowing, and next time you’ll fuck someone else you’ll hate that he’s right. You will feel him everywhere, you will feel his dick deep inside of you every time your fingers will desperately try to take its place, and every time you’ll let someone in your bed, but you don’t hate that thought as you should.

“Fuck,” he groans, giving you a few more pumps to make sure you rode your high before slipping out and then roughly flipping you over. “Close your eyes,” he orders, and you follow with no hesitation —honestly, you were struggling to keep them open in the first place.

Your heaving chest, your parted lips still letting out cries, your wet cheeks, and your trembling closed thighs are the last drop he needs to let go. Deep moans reach your ears while his hot cum drops on your face, most on your skin but some in your mouth, and they get even louder when you shyly swallow it and lick your lips for more.

“Fuck, fuck, you’re —” he gasps but doesn’t finish, holding onto nothing as he empties himself all over your face. “Fuck.”

He feels dizzy, the orgasm still shaking him up, but then he looks at you and has to bite back a moan. The white strings of cum are covering your blissed face, your eyelashes are clumped together by the tears, and your lips are plump and darker, he knows he doesn’t want to forget what you look like right now. “Smile one last time, baby.”

And you do, the corners of your mouth lift and then you hear the click of the polaroid. You think for a second you should’ve told him to don’t take them, he could easily blackmail you, or straight-up get you fired, but once again, you don’t truly care, and you don’t deny how much the idea of those photos turned you on.

You should get up, grab your pants, jacket, shoes and leave. But you feel heavy and tired, you’re still shaking, and your breath didn’t go back to normal, yet.

“Don’t worry, detective,” Ghostface whispers, something passes on your face to clean you from the mess, but you don’t know what, and only then you open them ajar, just to see he’s still wearing his mask. “I’ll take care of you.”

The Ghostface mask is the last thing you see.

When you wake up, you’re in your bed, wearing your nightwear, completely cleaned up, but your bones and muscles are still sore, and a terrible headache is throbbing in the left side of your brain. You turn around, rubbing your eyelids with your palms before you can fully focus on the pillow and see three things on it. The Ghostface mask, a polaroid of you two from before, his face next to yours as he pulled your hair, and a note.

“It was a pleasure playing with you, my pretty detective. Can’t wait to see what our next game will be like♡ ”

general taglist: @froggyforyoongi , @wingsss45 ; @tddyhyck ; @technologyculturedneo

© neowinestaindress; all rights reserved. do NOT repost, modify, or translate any work from this blog on any other platform and claim it as yours. you can find my works on ao3 (neowinestaindress) and wattpad (winestaintedress_; currently inactive).

#nct fanfiction #nct 127 smut #nct dream smut #wayv smut #haechan smut #johnny smut #jaemin smut #jeno smut #jisung smut #jaehyun smut #taeyong smut #yuta smut

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lowkeychenle · 1 month

Text

masterlist + all about me (and nct dream)

hi everyone! name change/rebrand alert ;)

prev @/lowkeyjaemle, now @/lowkeychenle :D

i'm juls (as some of you already know) and my ult group is NCT Dream! i'm chenle biased (this will never change lol) and the majority of my blog is also chenle biased lol.

i do not have a bias wrecker. chenle is safe (although jisung is my #2, which just makes sense bc chenji is a package deal okay).

i'm 22 (almost 23!) years old, and my pronouns are she/her. now that all this intro/boring stuff is out of the way, please keep reading for my updated masterlist ;)

p.s. if u are also a chenle stan, there are so many chenle fics here just for u

AY YO! MDNI >:(

text!au masterlist | smau masterlist

So, this'll be a little different. These fics will be in order of my personal faves, so if you want a rec on where to start, try right at the top ;)

And Then It Was (M)

After your marriage with Chenle was arranged by your parents for a company merger, things with him aren't quite like you expect. In your life full of obligations, he's determined to finally give you the ability to make your own choices. (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

Cruel Summer (M)

He wants you. Everything to do with you--your heart, your body, all while keeping your friendship. What's a man to do during a 30-day hook up to get you to stay? (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

See My Sea (M)

You never expected your lab partner to be the captain of the basketball team...or a decent human being, but you get proved wrong twice. Despite a rocky past of your own, you find yourself falling for him faster than you thought. Maybe, with his help, you can finally find your way home and see your sea. (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

Like We Just Met (M)

Everything else about the day is completely normal when Chenle realizes he wants to marry you. It hits him like a tidal wave, and he's itching to tell you just how much he wants to love you forever. (smut/fluff) *WC>10k

SOS (M)

Road trips with Chenle are your favorite thing. Late at night, the two of you stop at a hotel, but it's not everything it seems to be. You barely have time to settle before you get a call to evacuate immediately. Beneath red neon flashing lights, you and Chenle have to try and escape the group of people hunting you down. (suspense/thriller/smut)

this is me trying (M)

Meeting Chenle was a fluke--a good one, at that, but you never expected things to escalate the way they did. But despite the whirlwind romance, you'd go back to December if you had the chance... (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

Is It Over Now? (M) (Feat. Jisung)

Your relationship with Chenle is nothing but fight after fight. Amidst the toxicity, infidelity comes into play--except you're determined to one up him...but is it ever truly over? (angst/smut) *WC>10k

Within the Piano Keys (M)

For as long as you could remember, Chenle has been your neighbor and childhood best friend. That is, until one day he disappears without a word…or so you thought, since your mother hid all the letters he sent you. (smut/fluff/angst) *WC>10k

Paris (M)

Pure smut on a hotel room balcony in Paris! Woo. (smut)

Sunshine (M)

You're not usually able to wake up with Chenle due to his schedules, but on the days that you can, it's certainly worth it. (smut/fluff)

Quiet Down (M)

You and Chenle visit your parents, but he just can't help himself... (smut)

You're Not Sorry

You and Chenle broke up two weeks ago. The first time he calls you at 3am, you ignore it. Then he calls again. You answer, and you go to him knowing there's nothing he could do to fix what he's broken. (angst)

The Last Straw (M)

Chenle has been your best friend for as long as you can remember. Being in love with him isn't easy, until you find out he reciprocates those feelings (thanks to Cockblocker!Jaemin). (smut/fluff/angst)

Chilled Nights, Fogged Windows (M)

After being gone for weeks, the first thing Chenle wants to do is get ice cream with you. One thing leads to another, and suddenly, you're in the backseat (oooops). (smut)

In Your Dreams (M)

What started as innocent phone sex hotline stuff (if that can ever really be innocent?), you get an offer you just can't refuse...you just have to be a little sleep deprived ;) (Chenle as Freddy Kruger Halloween thing lol)

Irrevocably (M) Series Masterlist

You were friends with benefits with Chenle until he got a girlfriend...fast forward months later, and now they've broken up--leaving Chenle to come back to you, very much in need of a distraction. (angst/smut/fluff)

Opposites Attract [Poly!Jaemle AU] Series Masterlist

Your relationship with Jaemin started out simple--friends with benefits with zero complications...until there was one. That complication's name is Zhong Chenle, and after Jaemin agrees to expand your exclusivity deal to involve him, there's only one logical thing left to do... (smut)

모래성 (ONE) (TWO) (THREE)

You and Mark have had a friends with benefits relationship for almost a year now. He's in love with you, addicted to you, but you don't feel the same. You're his poison. (smut/angst)

Late Nights (M)

Mark's busy schedule only gives him time to come over late at night, but it's safe to say neither of you are complaining by the time you fall asleep. (fluff/smut)

Empire State of Mind (M) (Feat. Jisung)

Life with Jisung is almost perfect. He loves you, and you love him. But when you run into your ex, Mark Lee, you realize the one thing you've been missing all along is him. (smut/angst)

Lost & Wayward Mini-Masterlist

After the worst couple weeks of your life, you finally break down in the middle of an alleyway. Jaemin hears you and comes to comfort you, and little do you know, he's about to change your life--in more ways than one. (fluff/smut/angst)

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yutafrita · 1 year

Text

Through the Webs reader moodboard Also known as "dihncarA" Is good at ????, lacks ???

[3/4 y/n second identity unlocked!] [??? is next]

#sungchan imagines #sungchan x y/n #sungchan x reader #sungchan angst #sungchan thriller #nct fic #nct u imagines

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peanutpinet · 5 months

Note

hihi!! really love the mini nct-mafia universe that you’ve created 🥹 i was hoping if you could write jaemin next..i was thinking of jaemin being a little cold to others but only soft towards y/n (and of course jeno)..i’ll leave the plot up to you but i thought it’ll be cute if there’s a scene where y/n helps to undress jaemin to take care of him..so like angst/fluff/suggestive all blended in one! thank you and i’m sorry if it’s so specific 🥲🥲

Trauma - Mafia! Na Jaemin x Innocent! Fem Reader

A/N: Hi anon!! Thank you for requesting the fic! I actually was already planning to write for mafia Jaemin and since you requested him as well, it motivated me even more to write!

Also, apologies if I took way too long and if the story isn't how you actually want it to go but I do hope that you enjoy it as much as I wrote it. There are lots of heavy trigger warnings that you have to pay attention to!

Trigger Warning: trauma experience, character death (not MC), grief, revenge, murder, blood loss, torture (excessive), explosion. -> I'm sorry if this isn't all but I will try to update it in case I missed anything

Synopsis: Being the son of the famous Nam Goongmin came with a heavy price to pay for Jaemin. Though Taeyong managed to get Jaemin out of his father’s mafia business and helped him to heal, there was still some trauma that Jaemin had yet to face. Until he came across a girl that he would soon learn that he can't always run from his problems

Water to Fire. Winter to Spring. Sunshine to Rain. They were all opposites of each other yet people kept on saying that opposites then to attract one another. Jaemin had never believed such things until he saw his parents. His father was the ruthless mafia whereas his mother was a kindhearted school teacher. Despite their contradicting characteristics, they were like magnets and attracted each other in a good way just like sunshine and rain coming together to create a rainbow.

Though Jaemin knew that his father didn’t have the best job, being one of the most feared mafia in South Korea before NCT became a thing was a reputation that Jaemin had to live for years until his mother passed away; and not in a peaceful way.

Jaemin knew that with the amount of power and wealth his father had, came all the enemies as well. Enemies who either wanted his father dead for hundreds of different reasons. Murder. Fraud. Stealing. Jaemin didn’t know how far his father was in crime because his mother made sure that he wouldn’t have to see his father at one of the most gruesome scenes that might as well come from the action/thriller drama that he watched.

Sadly, those moments were all but just memories to Jaemin. Everything happened as quickly as his memories could remember. One sunny morning, the day before Jaemin’s 18th birthday, he was going off to school and the same evening he went back home, it started raining but he still went home smiling knowing that he got a perfect score on his biology test, a recommendation letter from all of his science teacher and that his mom promised that they would bake today.

But when he arrived at the front door, Jaemin knew that something was wrong. Quietly, Jaemin took off his shoes and took the nearest thing that he could use as a weapon and went in. Though Jaemin was sheltered from the gruesome life of his father, the old man actually taught him every self-defence technique he knew. From hand-to-hand combat to even using a gun, Jaemin knew it all. But what his father had not taught him was how to cope with his feelings or a life that he took with his own hands.

That day will forever haunt Jaemin’s memory as the day of his first kill, the day of his mother’s death, and the day that he knew that he was his father’s son. When Jaemin’s father came home that night, he was just as distraught as his son. Both instantly mourn the loss of their beloved wife and mother. It was the first time that Jaemin’s dad actually let Jaemin into the horrifying world that he lived in.

Out for revenge, Jaemin had no mercy for anyone who would prevent him or his father from getting back at the one who took the light out of their dark thoughts. But even when Jaemin finally got a taste of revenge. It didn’t satisfy him and instead, he quickly realised his actions before it was too late.

His mother taught him better. His mother always taught him to never hate anyone as most people who do evil things were also once good. So Jaemin did what he could do. Run. Jaemin ran away from all his dark side; his father.

Jaemin knew that no matter how far or fast he ran, his father would always find him. But it seemed that his mother must’ve sent some guardian angels because right as Jaemin was cornered by some of his father’s most trusted men, some other men came and saved Jaemin, killing his father’s men in the process.

It was that day did Jaemin joined Taeyong into NCT and became one of the core members of NCT. But unlike the other members who also have daytime jobs, Jaemin prefers to just stay at the base and stand by whilst studying medicine with Kun. Though Taeyong still forces Jaemin to go follow Jeno along because Jeno was one of the only members that Jaemin talks to and eventually Jeno manages to convince Jaemin to at least intern and later work in NCT’s hospital under Kun on the early morning of weekdays.

For the most part of Jaemin’s life in NCT, not once did he ever complain. Not once did Jaemin want something more like his friend Jeno who is a famous racer. Not once did Jaemin ever go against NCT’s leader, Taeyong, like sometimes Haechan did. Though Jaemin has become more social than his first year in NCT, Taeyong has yet to completely understand Jaemin.

In reality, Jaemin stayed with NCT because he hoped that one day if he were to have to face his father again, he would face him without being scared. After years of being with NCT and even becoming a surgeon in Neo Hospital under Kun, Jaemin slowly finds a new routine and he slowly finds that by helping other people, it relieves a part of him that remembers all the bad things his father had done towards multiple innocent people.

As days passed, Jaemin has slowly forgotten about meeting his father again. Instead, Jaemin wants to avoid having to meet his father ever again if it were possible. Jaemin was content with the life he has now and wants to continue to just live his life without the constant worry of having to deal with his father or the mess he made; at least, until a recent patient that he had to deal with.

It was in the middle of a weekend night, right when Taeyong suddenly dismissed him and told Jaemin to just go back home despite Taeyong just finished torturing a guy who kidnapped the intern for Neo-Tech and helped build the Satellite tracker.

But right as Jaemin was about to go back to his place, Jeno suddenly called him and said that there was a sudden accident right when he and his girlfriend were on their way home and some weird men were chasing an injured girl.

“I got no idea why they were chasing them but I figured to call you not only to help the girl but I also feel that you should know. Those weird men mentioned that they were under your father’s name” Jeno mentioned, making Jaemin stop in his tracks

“I’m on my way. I’ll call the nurse to handle it before I get there. Just drive to the emergency entrance” Jaemin replied, turning off his call with Jeno, going into his car and rushing to the hospital

Along the way, Jaemin called the nurse in his hospital and told them to go to the emergency room and help a girl that Jeno was bringing. Jaemin also told the nurse to ask for Kun to help before he arrived there.

Within minutes, Jaemin arrived at the hospital and immediately went to get changed and head to the surgery room. Before going in, Jaemin saw Jeno who was bloody with his girlfriend sitting by the entrance. “Jaem…” Jeno called out to his friend who was just about to head into the surgery room.

“You should take her home. I can handle it here” Jaemin replied but Jeno seemed hesitant. “Your girlfriend is practically asleep, Jen. You’re also covered with blood. Plus I’m not alone. Kun-hyung is here. Go” Jaemin reassured Jeno who stood up, carrying his sleeping girlfriend

“Call me if anything happens. I’m not just a member. I’m your friend, too” Jeno mentioned before Jaemin went into the surgery room

In the surgery room, Jaemin apologised to Kun for being late but Kun didn’t question him. “I’ll question you after the surgery. Jeno came in here bloody and said that you wouldn’t want anyone outside of NCT to know about this” Kun mentioned

“Probably for the best” Jaemin replied and immediately got to work with Kun

Because Jeno managed to stop the bleeding by using a cloth and putting pressure on it, Jaemin and Kun managed to stitch up the girl with no problem. But aside from the deep wound, Jaemin noticed that the girl also had several bruises all over her body, a cut lip, and even a few fractured bones.

After moving the girl into a secluded patient room, Kun and Jaemin went into Kun’s office where Kun made a cup of warm tea before getting into the talk. “I won’t tell Taeyong if you don’t want me to” Kun reassured Jaemin who has been quiet since the surgery

“She’s related to my father” Jaemin mentioned, making Kun stop drinking his drink and look at the younger one. “Not in a way that you would think. Jeno said that she was being chased by some men. When Jeno got to her, she was already bruised and everything. Jeno thought that he was just helping someone but didn’t realise until too late that the men were working for my father” Jaemin explained

“You know. You’re not really obligated to actually find out about her or her relationship with your father if you don’t want to. You can always just ignore her and think that you never met her” Kun mentioned. “I’m not saying that you should run away from your problems but…” Kun added but Jaemin stopped him

“I know that someday I’m going to have to face him again after all these years. If so, I might as well get it over with. Thanks hyung, but I’m going to try and find out and maybe face my father. All I ask is to not tell Taeyong-hyung about it until I’m sure that she truly has something to do with my father” Jaemin mentioned, leaving Kun to see the girl

Jaemin’s POV

Reaching the girl’s room, I went in and received an overview of her profile from Haechan. “You owe me big. Taeyong-hyung almost caught me for this”. Going over her profile, I noticed that the girl, (y/n) has gone through a rough childhood.

“3 different foster homes in the span of 20 years?! Geez. Either she was trouble or those foster homes are actually as shitty as I know” I thought to myself, glancing over (y/n) who was sweating and whimpering.

Turning off the screen to my tab, I walked closer. Grabbing a soft cloth, I started to wipe the sweat that was building up on her forehead until I was close enough to hear her whimpers.

“p-please…” (y/n) whimpered. “leave my mom alone. Let me go” (y/n) suddenly screamed, jolting from the bed

“Hey, hey, no one is going to hurt you” I mentioned, looking at (y/n) who was now sitting, her chest was going up and down faster than normal

“You’re alright but I would suggest you to rest again. Let’s put you to sleep again” I mentioned, coming closer but she flinched when my hand was just reaching her shoulders

Sighing, I pulled my hands away and tucked them into my pockets. “Look. I’m a doctor here. I’m not going to hurt you or anything. If I was going to hurt you, I’d done it already” I bluntly mentioned as (y/n) just eyed me from top to bottom

“Jaemin…” she read my nametag. “You look like him. I, I thought…” (y/n) finally said a sentence

“Who? Who do I look like? What were you thinking if I look like someone?” I asked but (y/n) didn’t utter another word. “Do I look like Nam Goongmin?” I asked, the name felt foreign that my voice cracked a bit but luckily, I got some kind of answer as (y/n) nodded

“You’ve met him before” I mentioned. It wasn’t a question

Another nod which made my next sigh rougher than the previous one. “Look, if you have anything to say to me regarding him, just tell me. Or if you know about him. Or if you’re involved with him. I’m not a mind reader” I rambled

“He mentioned your name before” (y/n) finally said something again but I didn’t cut her off. I wanted her to keep talking. “He mentioned that I reminded him of his son. How I wasn’t considerate and thankful that he helped me find a foster home b-but…” (y/n) started to cry

“He helped you look for a foster home? But why? Sorry for being blunt but I doubt that he would let himself get involved with someone like you unless you or someone you know is involved with him” I mentioned

“H-he, he killed my dad and then my mom. He killed them because they worked for him but eventually cut ties with him” (y/n) cried, probably remembering the dark times she had to face

“What do you remember?” I asked, handing a clean cloth for her to wipe her tears

“My dad was his colleague. He helped supply the things that Nam Goongmin couldn’t easily get his hands on. But when I reached a certain age, my dad just cut ties with him” (y/n) added

“Were you home when your parents were killed?” I asked and (y/n) nodded

“My parents hid me, along with files of Nam Goongmin. Files that if they were to be released to the public, would ruin everything that he had built” (y/n) replied, perking up my interest

“When was the last time you saw him?” I asked, wanting to know more

“Months ago. He found me while I was working at a convenience store late at night. I didn’t know who he was at first until he brought up my parents’ name” (y/n) replied. “At first, he didn’t ask the files. He just told me about his history with my dad which honestly shocked me. I was so scared that he would do something to me but instead, he just left”

“But you mentioned that you were in foster homes? Did you run away?” I asked

“Ever since my parents passed away, which was when I was 14, I was put in an adoption center but turns out I was put into foster homes. At first, I didn’t notice anything strange until one night in my first foster home, I heard him again. I ran away after finding out. I was then put into another foster home at 15 but it was the same thing. I found out they were associated with him and ran away. The last one was the most brutal one. They didn’t sugarcoat anything and I was treated like a slave until I told them where I hid the file. When I saw a chance, I ran away once again. I managed to hide from them for the past 2 years because I ran away by the time I reached 18 years old and started working part-time in a few places. Up until now at least” (y/n) ended her story

“So, where did you actually hide the files then?” I asked as (y/n) just looked at me

“Don’t you think it’s only fair that I ask you after explaining to you, not knowing if I can trust you or not” (y/n) mentioned

“Nam Goongmin…he’s my father” I mentioned, shocking (y/n)

The next morning rolled around quicker than I wanted. I ended up not going back home and stayed in (y/n)’s room since I was the one who booked her the VIP room. While (y/n) was sleeping, I checked on all the files that Haechan sent me just to double-check her background because she could be lying and actually working with my father.

Jeno came along with Renjun and Haechan, bringing something for me to eat which I realised that I hadn’t eaten anything since the surgery the other night. The four of us sat in my office as I told them about what happened the other night.

“So her story and what Haechan sent you checked out? She’s not lying?” Renjun asked, munching on the burger that he bought upon coming to the hospital

“As far as I read the background. Yeah. Unless you have something else up your sleeve, Haechan?” I asked, looking over to him who was stuffing his face with french fries

“That’s all I found. And I’ve used the big bois. Perks of having parents that used to be in the mafia I supposed. Can manipulate what information would be put out there well until they were dead at least” Haechan shrugged

“What are you planning to do then, Jaem? I mean, you used to say that you don’t want to get involved with your dad ever again. What changed?” Jeno asked but I too didn’t quite have the answer yet

“Part of me doesn’t like the idea of what dad has become. Regardless, he was still my father and he honestly raised me well. He was there for my childhood. It was truly like he wanted me in his life. But when my mom was killed, guess that’s when he went haywire and made a killing spree. I want him to atone for what he did. Killing innocent people is wrong and he had never done it until my mom passed away” I mentioned

“So, you want to put him behind bars?” Haechan asked

“It’s more complicated…” I mumbled when a knock was heard. “Who is it?” I asked, standing from my seat, eyeing my members who suddenly went serious mode

“Dr Na, your patient is here to see you” the nurse exclaimed, making my members sigh of relief

“Yes, of course. Just bring her in” I mentioned and the nurse brought (y/n) on a wheelchair into my office. “I’ll handle it from here, you can leave” I told the nurse

“So this is the famous (y/n)” Haechan smirked while I instantly eyed him, helping (y/n) into my office

“Ignore him, he’s always that playful. I’m Renjun, that’s Jeno over there” Renjun mentioned, giving a smile at (y/n). The same goes for Jeno

“You’re the one that helped me!” (y/n) exclaimed as Jeno nodded. “That would be me. I’m glad that you’re alright now. Also, I know Jaemin might seem cold and unapproachable but he’s pretty nice” Jeno mentioned, making me groan

“I never got to thank you. Thank you, for saving me. If you hadn’t, I would’ve…” (y/n) rambled but Jeno shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Thank Jaemin as well for saving you. I just helped a bit. He’s the saviour here. I mean, he’s dubbed the miracle doctor here because the amount of times Jaemin has been able to save people who are in critical condition is crazy” Jeno mentioned, which honestly made me flustered

“I think I’m just lucky this time, to be able to meet kind people to help me” (y/n) shyly stated

“It’s not luck. No one deserves to die honestly. Anyways, you can trust my friends here. They, they know about my history with my father” I stated. “You can tell us where you hid the files and we’ll help retrieve them. I promise that there’s nothing to worry about. You’re completely safe here” I added on, making (y/n) smiled

“Thank you” (y/n) uttered. “But I’m sorry that this might seem like I’m asking a lot but actually, I hid it at my old house. The one where I used to live with my parents. I figure that it would be the best place to hide it since Nam Goongmin wouldn’t think to look at an old abandoned house where he killed people that he probably don’t remember” (y/n) explained and I looked over at Haechan who was still stuffing his face with food but his face was serious as he was typing away on his computer

“Is this the house?” Haechan asked, showing us all his laptop that showed a house. “Y-yeah, how did you?” (y/n) asked but Haechan shrugged. “It’s one of my many talents”

“Alright then, we should leave tonight. It’ll be easier so we won’t be seen” Jeno pointed out and the others started to pack their things. “I’ll also fill in Yangyang and Shotaro on our plan so that they could help with the file. Haechan, you, Renjun and Shotaro should prepare on the equipment we need. I’ll ask Yangyang for a vehicle and…” Jeno added but (y/n) cut him off

“Is, is it alright if I come along? I mean. I’m the one that knows where it’s hidden. Plus. I, I want to get something from the house” (y/n) asked

“Honestly, I don’t think it would be the best idea for you to come. You’re still injured and…” Jeno replied

“I just want to get my old family photobook. I promise that’s it” (y/n) argued

“I think it’s alright if she goes. We’ll all be there and I’ll keep a watch on her and then get her out as soon as she gets her photobook” I added on, making Jeno sigh

“Fine. But we have to move quickly. Taeyong-hyung doesn’t know about this and even if he does, we have to be fast, alright?” Jeno stated and everyone nodded

After the short meeting, I brought (y/n) back to her room, making her rest up a bit more while I went back to my office and changed into my nightwear mission gear and taking the female clothes I asked someone to buy for me to (y/n)’s room; telling her to change while we wait for Jeno to come.

“Just asking. How long have you been doing this?” I heard (y/n) asked

“For a few years. I was found by my now leader at 18 and ever since I was taken in, was taught everything I know and was given the opportunity to be something that I’ve always wanted as a kid” I told her, remembering the early days when Taeyong-hyung and Jeno first found me

“Do, do you guys like, I don’t know, kill people? Sell drugs or human trafficking?” (y/n) asked, making me chuckle at her thought. “Wh-why are you laughing? Is this all just a trick and you’re actually working with…” (y/n) rambled but I stopped her before she could say that man’s name

“No. We’re not like him. Not every mafia is bad. At least not us. I used to think the same until my leader brought me in. We’re considered a mafia group because we deal with other dirty crime organizations through some illegal methods which to the public, it might seem wrong but basically, we help the government do more of the dirty work. But we never went as far as killing. Torture? Yes. I’ll tell you that upfront. Especially to those who betray us” I explained, looking at (y/n) who looked nervous

“Don’t worry. As long as you’re not involved with the people in our wanted list, there’s nothing to worry about. Are you ready to go?” I asked as (y/n) slowly nodded

“Alright, come with me then” I mentioned, nudging (y/n) to walk right beside me. “Whatever happens there, I’ll be by your side and I expect you to do the same. Don’t walk ahead, don’t walk behind. I have to make sure that nothing happens to you, got it?” I stated as we walked into the private elevator and (y/n) nodded

Arriving at (y/n)’s house, Jeno told Haechan, Renjun and Shotaro to stay hidden as he, Yangyang, (y/n) and I go into the house and find the files along with the photobook that (y/n) wanted. Because (y/n) was the only one who knew where both the items were, we stuck close to her, practically forming a human wall around her to make sure that there weren’t any threats.

“Haechan, any sign of anyone nearby?” Jeno asked. “Nope. It’s all clear. Unless you count some stray cats nearby which they’re very big and chubby” Haechan joked

“Jaem, you accompany (y/n). Yangyang and I will stay downstairs, just in case. Once you’ve gotten the files, toss it to me and I’ll have Yangyang hand it to Haechan and the others, kay?” Jeno instructed and I nodded in acknowledgement

(y/n) and I went upstairs, and I noticed from some of the ripped, broken images that (y/n) seemed to be an only child and that there weren’t really any other family members except for her parents. “D-do you not have any like uncles or aunts to take you in at the time?” I asked as (y/n) rummage around a room that seems to be a master bedroom based on the size and linked bathroom

“Unfortunately, no. As far as I know, my parents are both only childs and even if there were, I doubt they want to take a burden in” (y/n) chuckled dryly, making me feel bad for asking

“I’m sorry to hear that but you should know that no one is a burden. Especially those under 18. You didn’t ask to be born. None of us asked for it and you shouldn’t push yourself because of what happened. This universe might’ve fucked up some things in everyone’s life but the moment you’re given just one chance to change your fate, take it. Exploit it if you can as long as you hurt no one. You deserve to enjoy your life” I stated, trying to cheer (y/n) up

“You know, I lived my life in uncertainty and everything changed with my mom was killed and I thought that this universe hated me until my now leader and Jeno found me. They gave me a new life and I’m doing much better now. Why don’t you come with us when all of this is over?” I offered, catching (y/n)’s attention

“I doubt that you guys would want me. I don’t even know what I’m good at” (y/n) replied, her voice became much softer than before

“Don’t worry about that. Everyone doesn’t know what they’re good at because they just simply were never given the chance to. But I promise you that as stone-cold as some of my members are, they are all caring for each other and would always help one another. Just consider it. And if you decided you want to, I’ll talk with my leader about it” I replied, offering (y/n) a smile, making her smile back

“T-thank you, Jaemin. Really. No one has ever offered me this far” (y/n) mentioned, making me frown

“That’s probably because they don’t understand the pain you go through; especially after losing your parents. Let’s hurry and find the file and your photobook then we can continue this conversation” I stated as (y/n) nodded

(y/n) quickly scrambled to the bed of the room and went underneath the covers, ripping it and taking something out of the mattress which turns out to be the USB. “Is that the files?” I asked as (y/n) nodded. “Yeah, I kept it here because this room and bed reminded me about my parents. How I would crawl into their room in the middle of the night because of nightmares when I was younger. And eventually sleep between them” (y/n) replied, making me smile

“Can I take the USB from you? I promise that my members and I will bring justice to your parents and all the innocent people whose life were ruined by Nam Goongmin” I stated, extending my hand as (y/n) handed the USB over

“Jen, I got it. We’re upstairs in the master bedroom. (y/n) is looking for the photobook” I stated in my earcom. “I’m going up” Jeno replied

Jeno then came within seconds and took the USB. Jeno told me to take care of (y/n) while he went to Haechan and handed the USB over to check the files before going back to the base. I told Jeno that he and Yangyang could just go with the others because (y/n) and I were only finding the photobook.

Despite being unsure of my request, Jeno eventually compiled and told me that if anything were to happen, I should just call him or the base; regardless of whether Taeyong-hyung knows or not. Because in the end, whether I like it or not, I will have to tell Taeyong-hyung about this.

After Jeno left, I continued to help (y/n) find the photobook she was looking for. We eventually turned the already messed up house into basically a destroyed ship. But luckily, we managed to find the photobook that (y/n) was looking and I instantly told the others that we were done and were going to head back to my place.

As we went downstairs, I suddenly heard a clock ticking. I looked around and saw an old grandfather clock that was ticking. Which was strange because I swore that when we all went into the house, the only noise that could be heard were our voices, the sounds of our shoes on the old hardwood floor, and even our breathing. But not once did I hear any ticking noise.

Not wanting to find out, I quickly wrapped an arm around (y/n) and dragged her out of the house. But before we could get out, the clock struck 3 am and instantly, everything became a blur. One moment I was reaching the door handle to open the door and the next, I was having a hard time breathing and was lying on my back.

Blinking several times, I tried to regain my vision after almost blacking out but everything was still a blur. My nose smelled some smoke and as I used my hands to try to get me up, I noticed that the house behind me was in flames.

Regardless of my weak state, I called out to (y/n) and tried to scan my surroundings with whatever vision I had but I felt everything spinning around and was suddenly met with a fist on my cheek; making me fall to the ground and cough up blood.

Suddenly, I felt two people holding each of my arms respectively as I was now kneeling on the ground. I tried to fight them off but knowing my weak state from the sudden explosion, I couldn’t do anything. But what caught me off-guard was the person who walked and stood right in front of me. The man who made me have my first kill, the man who I thought was good because of how he loved my mother, the man who shared the same DNA as I did. My father, Nam Goongmin.

“I thought I told you manners on how to greet your elderly, Na Jaemin” my father chuckled, grabbing a chunk of my hair, roughly pulling my head back, making me look at him

Even though my vision was still blurry, I could recognize that tone and sinister smirk from anywhere. “You don’t deserve any manners or respect from me” I coughed up, spitting some blood that landed on my father’s suit and face

“You still haven’t changed, have you? A doctor now are you?” my father stated, not really asking me

“W-was the least I could do, after what you’ve done. You can try to kill as many innocent people but I’ll be the one that’ll save them” I argued back, my father roughly letting my hair go

“Oh, you might want to save that breath of yours because you’re going to need it” my father uttered, I could feel his breath by my ear. “You and your little gang have something that I’ve been looking for years” my father whispered as I turned to eye him

“Let’s test how eager you are to save a life, shall we? That troublesome girl will be your time limit. Right now, she’s practically as injured as you are. The difference is. You’re going to be rescued by your little team while she gets to hang out with me” my father stated, making me try to release the grip of his men

“With every second you don’t come back, I’m going to draw her blood out of her. Slowly. With each day passing and you do not give me back those files, I’ll have to find out which organ I want to sell to the black market first. And if those files ever get released to the public? I’ll give you a little present. For all the years that I’ve been gone from your life” my father stated when suddenly I was injected with a sleeping drug and the grip on each of my arms were gone as I drifted off to sleep, and my body unconsciously fell to the ground with the thought of (y/n) in my mind

NCT Base - 8:25 pm (still Jaemin’s POV)

The sound of a beeping monitor slowly matched with the beat of my heart as I slowly woke up from my slumber for who knows how long. When I opened my eyes and slowly scanned the room, I noticed that I was in the patient room back in the base.

When I closed my eyes again, I remembered my father’s threat and immediately jerked on the bed. “Shit Jaemin, are you okay?! Let me get Kun-hyung” I heard Jeno stated but I managed to grip his wrist. “How long was I out?” I asked

“About more than 12 hours. Not long after we left, I felt something was off. I tried to contact you through our earcom but it was muffled. I told Haechan to just go while I drove one of our emergency borrowed cars and went back to the house. By the time I arrived, the house was in flames and you passed out on the ground, bruises and blood everywhere. But I didn’t see (y/n) at all” Jeno explained

“Shit. My dad. H-he caused the explosion. He knew that we would go to the house. He knew that (y/n) must’ve hid the files there and would have to retrieve it. Where’s the files right now?” I asked, trying to get out of bed but Jeno stopped me

“Woah. I know that your dad is insane and we should save (y/n) but you’re injured pretty badly right now. You gotta rest. Especially since you have to face…” Jeno ranted but we heard several footsteps coming into the room

“Is he awake?!” both Jeno and I heard Taeyong-hyung’s voice and suddenly the door was slammed open and Taeyong-hyung along with Kun, Mark, and Doyoung came in

“Tell me why the hell is there a 150ml of blood bag with your fucking name on it arrived at the hospital when the blood is clearly not yours?!” Taeyong-hyung demanded, showing me the blood bag

“Shit. He’s actually serious. Fuck. Hyung, where’s the files?” I asked back but Taeyong-hyung didn’t budge. “Who is he, Jaemin?! You’re my member. My core member. And Kun received this right as he finished handling another patient. So no, Jaemin, I won’t let you know anything about the files until you explain yourself” Taeyong-hyung growled and I was trying to put together some words to not make the situation worse

“He’s back isn’t he?” Taeyong-hyung stated, sending chills as I remembered the incident

“He’s after the files, isn’t he, Jaemin?” Taeyong-hyung asked as I slowly nodded. “Everyone but Jeno, out” Taeyong-hyung stated as the others left the room but Jeno. “You know something as well, Jeno. I’ll deal with the other 00 boys later” Taeyong-hyung added

“Tell me everything, Jaemin. What happened, how did you get those files, whose blood is this and what did Nam Goongmin threaten you” Taeyong demanded and I told him everything that had happened. From when Jeno brought (y/n) to the hospital to going to her house and even facing my father on my own

“I know meeting him would not end well but this?! This is out of my prediction” Taeyong-hyung grunted, messing up his hair before slicking it back again

“We can’t release the files. (y/n) would be instantly killed” I argued

“I know that. But we need to find where your father is first which Jungwoo is already in the process of finding through the satellite tracker. In the meantime, Haechan already duplicated the files and we’ll hand the original file back” Taeyong-hyung mentioned

“You figured it out when I was passed out, didn’t you, hyung?” I asked back when Taeyong-hyung explained on the current situation he’s handling which always amazed me

“I keep tabs on my members. I know about your father coming to find you because that was the reason why he sent someone to kidnap the intern under Jungwoo. But I wouldn’t expect another person outside of NCT to be involved. Guess I should’ve expected it since it already happened with Jeno and Haechan” Taeyong-hyung chuckled

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to worry you. I also didn’t expect my father to have everything figured out and was basically a step ahead of me” I grunted

“Jaemin. Whether you like it or not, your dad was in the mafia way before me and the other oldest members in the group. He might be out of touch with the current generation unlike us, but he always has that sinister, manipulative mind that somehow always manages to turn the situation around. No matter what, your dad is not someone we can take on lightly like Jeno or Haechan’s situation” Taeyong-hyung stated when suddenly we heard a knock on the door, revealing to be Jungwoo

“Hyung. I found him” Jungwoo-hyung stated and Taeyong-hyung told him to come and show us

Jungwoo-hyung came in and showed the exact location of where my father was and it turns out, he was back at my old house. The house that I abandoned since my mother was killed. “Of course he would be there” I growled

“That’s not all, Jaemin. As I found him, there was a sudden file that was delivered to me. I didn’t want to open it until I see Taeyong-hyung” Jungwoo-hyung mentioned, showing us the mystery file that he received

“Open it, Jungwoo” Taeyong-hyung mentioned and upon opening the file, I could feel my stomach twist and nearly puke upon seeing the file because it was a video of (y/n) who was unconscious and tied to a bed, getting her blood slowly drawn out and a figure coming behind her and slowly picking up a scalpel before the video went black, showing several numbers.

“Hyung…” I grunted, Jeno taking a bucket and shoving it towards me. “Go ahead, no one is going to judge you” Jeno tried to joke

“It’s a countdown” Taeyong-hyung stated. “Looks like your dad still isn’t a patient man. Are you okay to go?” Taeyong-hyung asked

“I have to. I’m not letting him kill another innocent person. Not when I can actually do something about it. I failed to protect my mom and spent the past few years to try and atone for what my father has done. I’m not going to sit this one out just because I have a few bruises and injuries” I stated, getting up from my bed

“It’ll most likely be a trap. Your dad would instantly kill her upon seeing the rest of us but if you go alone, there’s no telling what will happen. Your dad could have mercy on you but not on the girl or he might be very merciful and spare both of you. Either way, I won’t sit tight and let you handle everything alone, alright?” Taeyong-hyung stated, patting my shoulder

Jaemin’s Old House - 1:38 am

Right as my car came to a stop, I took a deep breath before walking out and facing the very problem that I’ve been running away from for the past 6 years of my life. As I slowly opened the door, memories of what used to be a happy childhood slowly flooded back but this time with the smell of dirt, trash, and even blood mixed in.

Standing by the door, I was met with multiple other men with their guns all loaded, pointing at me as I looked up at my father who was standing on the 2nd floor, looking as sharp as I remembered him from the day when I last saw him. The last day that I ever agreed to do anything with him. To get revenge on my dead mother.

“I’m assuming you come here with what I requested?” my father asked and I pulled the USB from the inner corner of my jacket, raising it up to show him

“All the files about you. About what you’ve done. About every corrupted person you have helped. Every innocent person you have killed. Every track of your dirty money in and out. Every weapon and drug you own and sell. They’re all in here” I stated, none of my father’s men lowered their weapons

“Hand over the USB and put down every weapon you have” my father instructed me. “Search him just in case” my father added

I handed the USB to one of his men as I took out my guns, knife, pepper spray, and every other weapon I had in hand. Two of his men held me by the arm and another searched me completely before taking away all of my weapons, telling my father that I was already clean.

His men who took the USB went upstairs and handed it to my father. My father then took it and plugged it into the laptop to check every single file personally. “You really have turned soft, haven’t you, Jaemin? All this information for just a girl?” my father questioned

“Just a girl? You killed her parents. She didn’t deserve to continue her life like that. She had no one. No one deserves to live like that. Just because you were like that, doesn’t mean someone else should” I argued back and without warning, my father fired a bullet that grazed my cheek

“Know your place, boy. Remember it was me that helped bring you to this world. Without me, you wouldn’t be alive or breathing right now. Her father wasn’t as innocent if she ever told you the truth, that is. His father was associated with me as in they were the ones that sourced all the weapons and drugs that I sell. So, regardless, they weren’t all that good” my father argued back as well

“Doesn’t mean you should kill them. No one deserves to be killed” I stated but what my father said next hit me more than a bullet would. “Yet your mother was killed”

“If you recall, your mother was murdered, Na Jaemin. She didn’t die due to some illness or of old age. She was murdered cold-blooded. She did nothing wrong yet she was still murdered. You’re only partially right. Not everyone deserves to be killed. Some do” my father stated.

“As shitty as some people are, including you, no one still deserves to be killed” I stood my argument

“You sure about that? Don’t you remember the time when you practically forced yourself to come with me to find your mother’s killer? That you wanted to pull the trigger yourself. Yet, it didn’t satisfy you enough, did it? If anything, you’ve always been a coward. I taught you everything. Yet, you never dared to go above and beyond” my father complained

“My mother never taught me to do anything bad. Plus, she was the reason why you were also soft at some point in your life. She would be disappointed with how you’ve changed. At least I’m trying to atone for what you and I did” I taunted, making my father’s demeanour change. His gaze got darker and scarier.

“Don’t talk about her as if you know about our history. As if you understand what it feels like to have someone part of you being ripped away after all that you’ve been through to change for them” my father admitted; a side of him that I didn’t really know of

“Who says?! My mother is a part of me. Heck, 50% of my DNA is from her. She was my number one supporter and she was my everything. The first woman I love. You and I are the same in terms of looks, some of our traits, and our love for the same woman. The big difference is how we cope with that loss” I mentioned. “As much as I hate the man you’ve become, it saddens me more because no matter what, you’re still my father. So stop this nonsense and just turn yourself in” I tried to reason but instead, my father let out a rather maniac laugh

“There’s another difference between you and I. Your mother might be your first love. But she’s my first and last. Like you said, my parents weren’t really there for me and when I met your mother, that’s when I actually knew what love actually is. Until she was murdered that is. So, Na Jaemin. You want to understand what it feels like to go through what I went through? Let me show you then” my father stated, confusing me

My father went into one of the rooms and not long after, he came back, dragging a way smaller yet weak figure than him to his side which made my whole body shudder as I saw (y/n)’s paled and injured face was being held between one of my father’s hand.

“You said that you wouldn’t hurt her if I gave you the files” I growled, punching and kicking both men who were holding me down, finally breaking free of their grip and immediately there was smoke covering the entirety of the house

Within seconds, each of my father’s men was knocked out by my group and Taeyong-hyung’s additional reinforcements. Once the smoke cleared up, everyone pointed their weapon towards my father as Taeyong stepped into the scene.

“Nam Goongmin. I didn’t expect for us to ever meet again ever since you nearly killed your own son” Taeyong-hyung mentioned. “Let the girl go and turn yourself in. You promised you wouldn’t kill her”

“I only said I would kill her if those files were released. Nothing more. But since you’re all here, you broke the agreement first, Jaemin” my father stated, making my jaw clench. “You want to understand my pain? Then let me show you” my father then stabbed (y/n) in the back and immediately pulled the scalpel out, making her bleed even more blood

Immediately, I rushed upstairs and shoved my father away, catching (y/n) in my arms when suddenly my father shoved me again and started a fight with me

Thankfully, Jeno, Shotaro, and Jaehyun-hyung came and helped bring (y/n) away from the fight between my father and I. Though I was already trained in combat and my father had already age, he still managed to get me out of breath.

My father’s aims were sharp and strong which made me have to go into defence mode until I saw an opening and kicked him on the side of his ribs, which made him stumble backwards. Immediately, I took my chances and threw several more punches which hit and eventually, I managed to pin him on the ground, using my knee to pin his chest down, making it hard for him to breathe while my left arm was right on his neck, barely allowing my father to even speak.

“I think you should be by her side, doctor. Unless of course, you want to feel the exact pain that I felt” my father managed to choke out, tears somehow forming in my eyes

“Jaemin!! You have to operate on (y/n) right now. She already lost so much blood and while we’ve stopped it, it won’t last long” Taeyong-hyung stated as some of his reinforcements came and handled my father

“You should listen to your leader, doctor. Unless you want to relive the time when you couldn’t save someone” my father taunted and Taeyong-hyung covered him from my sight. “Go. I managed to bring a decent amount of tools for you to operate. The guys also managed to find the same blood type as her. I’ll deal with your dad” Taeyong-hyung mentioned, ushering me to quickly go

“Hyung. Thank you. And don’t kill my father. As shitty as what he did, I still stand my ground. I’m not going to kill him and no one is allowed to kill him. He’s still my father after all” I mentioned, looking back at Taeyong-hyung then seeing the other men take my father away

Rushing to the room that my members brought (y/n) in, I immediately put on a mask and gloves before getting to work. Though not all of my members know how the surgery procedure works, I’ve done operations on other people alone before.

I saw the monitor that checked all of (y/n)’s blood condition and they were all very low. First things first, I had to do the blood transfusion quickly before operating on the wound. After setting up the blood bag and putting the IV into (y/n)’s blood vessel, I told Shotaro to eye the blood bag and tell me when it was running low so I could give another blood bag.

As the blood transfusion was happening, I immediately got to work with the wound. I made sure that none of her vital organs were hit before actually stitching her up. I didn’t know how long I was stitching (y/n) while also giving her blood transfusion but at some point, the monitor suddenly beeping like crazy which made me worry.

“Jaem…her blood pressure is decreasing and so is her heart rate. Are there any other scars or wounds she has?” Jeno asked and I instantly scanned her entire body once again and the tab about her past conditions but nothing checked up; it was as if her body was giving up on its own

“Nothing, Jen. She has no wounds, no allergies, no sudden reaction. Her body, its slowly giving up. I’ve only heard several cases of patients whose consciousness just shut down their whole body. I, I didn’t think I would see it happen in front of me” I stuttered, my hands were now shaking

“Jaemin, I know this might sound crazy but you have to talk to her. She might be unconscious but her consciousness is alive and she could most probably hear you. You have to convince her to fight through it” Jaehyun-hyung mentioned and I was a shaking mess

Putting my tools down, I stood right beside (y/n). I grabbed one of her hands and leaned down by her ear. “Hey. I’m not sure if you can hear me but I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn’t give up. I know that we barely met but when you told me what happened to you, I felt that no one was ever able to understand you unlike I do. When you told me what my father did to your family, it made me feel obligated to take care of you. It might seem that I’m doing this to repay what my father did but honestly, I want to help you. You weren’t ever given the chance to enjoy your life” I held (y/n)’s hand with both of mine, squeezing it

“I know that I’ve told you this before but I want to say it again, I want to remind you if you feel that you want to give up. I was at that point as well. I was truly lucky to be able to have a leader and friends that helped me find a new purpose and that alone drove me to help others. You want to know what I want to be a surgeon? It’s not to only save people but I want to give them hope, to give them a second chance in their life when no one else would. I want to help them heal from their trauma just as I want to help you. So please, don’t give up just yet. Let me take care of you and give you the life you deserve. Let me be the one to heal your trauma just as my members healed mine” I rambled, hoping that whatever I said actually got to (y/n)’s consciousness

Somehow, as crazy as Jaehyun-hyung idea was, my voice somehow got through (y/n) and the monitor was suddenly stable once again. Letting out a sigh of relief, I looked at (y/n)’s calmer face and looked at Jaehyun-hyung and Jeno who both told me that I was good to continue.

Thankfully, throughout the rest of the operation, (y/n) was stable and I finished operating on her quicker than usual. Not long, we had some backup to help bring (y/n) and my father’s men back to our base.

Back at the base, everyone cleaned up but I immediately made sure that (y/n) was taken care of. I didn’t even care that I was still in my uniform and covered in dirt, scars, and blood. What matters most is that (y/n) was in a comfortable room, being treated and stable.

I even waited for Kun-hyung to confirm that (y/n) was indeed stable and that all she needed was some rest before actually being dragged out of the room and shoved into our shower room to shower by Jeno.

“You finally done?” Jeno asked as I got changed and dried my hair

“Yeah. You wouldn’t even let me leave until I actually freshen up” I grumbled, annoyed that Jeno and the others wouldn’t let me stay until (y/n) was awake

“Because you reek. You really think (y/n) would want to be next to you when you look and smell like blood, sweat, and tears?” Jeno sarcased

“How is she? Stable right?” I asked, putting my uniform to the dirty basket for laundry later

“Yeah. Kun-hyung actually mentioned that her fingers were moving a bit which means she’s going to wake up soon” Jeno mentioned as I hummed. “What are you going to do with your dad though? Taeyong-hyung practically chained him up and well, the usual. Taeyong-hyung didn’t hurt him too badly, if that’s what you’re worried” Jeno rambled

“Honestly, I’m not sure yet. I don’t want to kill him that’s for sure, I…” I replied when the door was flung open and Renjun came in panting. “She’s awake and Taeyong-hyung is with her”

Within seconds of Renjun coming to tell us that (y/n) was awake, I wasted no time in rushing to her room and seeing Taeyong-hyung beside her. “Relax. I’m not tormenting her, Jaemin. Excuse him, he sometimes look into things a bit too deeply” Taeyong-hyung mentioned and I heard a soft chuckle

When I walked to the side, I saw (y/n) sitting on the bed, her face looked brighter and fresher than hours ago. “Hey” I called out to her, offering a soft smile which she replied back

“I’ll leave you both alone now. Jaemin, when you’re done, my office, alright?” Taeyong-hyung mentioned before leaving me with (y/n) in the room

I pulled a chair and sat next to (y/n). “How are you? How are you feeling? Any parts of your body that hurt?” I asked and (y/n) softly shook her head

“I’m okay. Thank you” (y/n) stated, making me smile. “T-thank you, for saving me” (y/n) uttered out and I immediately took her hands in mine

“No, thank you, for staying strong. I’m not sure if you heard what I said to you when you were unconscious but I promise you that I’ll help you get back up. I’ll help you get the life you’ve wanted. Not because I feel obligated for what my father has done but because you deserve it and maybe because I can relate to you. Only if you allow me to help you, that is?” I rambled on and (y/n) held my hand tighter

“I’d like that. But I also want you to share your burden too” (y/n) uttered, making me smile wider, pressing my forehead onto hers. “As long as you let me take care of you and your trauma” I replied. For the first time, I felt calmer and more at peace since a long time.

NCT Prison - 12:18 am

Though I’ve been through these empty halls, I typically walk through them with my members to torment one of our prisoners. But this time, walking alone felt foreign. It reminded me of the day I left my home on my own. When there was no one to help me at all. But this time it was different. I wasn’t the same boy who ran away from his problems.

No. I decided I was finally going to put an end to it. By going in and facing the man who was both someone I used to look up to and someone that I despised.

“I’m amazed that you actually came. I thought you’d let your leader and other members do as they please with me” my father stated, locked within one of the cages of the prison

“I wouldn’t let them do that. Unlike you, father, who almost killed their own son, I would never let you get killed by my own members. As much as I despised you, you’re still my father. You said it yourself. I’m your son” I started out

“So then what? Are you going to torture me now? Your leader already has my files and most probably he’s going to release it tomorrow along with a statement that I’ve fallen and been captured. Then are you going to kill me by yourself? Is that why you’re not letting your members kill me?” my father questioned me

“I’m not going to kill you. Sure, my leader is going to open up and give a statement regarding his recent findings about you. But I told him that whatever he tells to the public will just be for the public because…I’ve already lost one parent. I don’t intend to lose another” I uttered, my father finally looking at me

“You might not be the best father but at some point, you raised me well. I know you love mom so much and you miss her just as I do but I know that mom would have never wanted us to be like this. She would have wanted both of us to be able to move on and live our lives. Not hating each other. Not chasing each other. We don’t even have to like each other or what we do but I know that mom would have wanted us to just try and get along. And that’s what I plan on doing” I ranted

“You can think that I’m weak or anything you want. But I hope that someday, you’ll be able to see me as your son who only wanted his dad. Not his father. I hope that you will be able to go back to the time when you were happy with mom but this time with me. And I hope that one day, you’ll admit your mistakes and apologise for what you’ve done. Not to me. I’ve gotten over that a long time ago. But to those who you’ve hurt and traumatised” I rambled on before slightly bowing to my father, about to leave but stopped upon hearing my father spoke

“You’re wrong, Jaemin. You’re not my son. You’re mine and your mother’s son. And whether you think that I was going to kill you that day. I wasn’t. Just like you, I was angry at what happened. And was pissed that you cowardly left me. But never did I ever think to kill you. Even now. I would have never killed the one person who reminded me of what your mother and I were like when we first fell for each other” my father finally spoke in a softer tone, making me turn to face him

“But you’re right. I was a shitty father when I should’ve been more of a dad to you. For that, I’m sorry. But I’m glad that you got more of your mother’s side. I’m glad that you grew up well. Your mom might hate me but I know for sure that she’s proud of the man you’ve become” my dad stated, actually smiling a bit which made me smile

“Thanks. I’ll um, talk to you again soon. I hope you do reflect on your mistakes. See you soon, dad” I uttered, leaving my dad, finally getting over the trauma that I’ve been holding onto for years

A/N: hopefully you guys enjoy this other long mafia fic of mine. I swear I will make a whole mini mafia series masterlist. After my 100th post which will be coming in December. I'm sorry that I've been slow on my stories and have only been posting like once a month but somehow, I ended up writing this mini mafia series which while fun, takes quite a while to write as I want them to somewhat interconnect with one another. Alright, before I go, I'm gonna give a mini sneak peek at my 100th post which will be another mafia series. Thank you all, have a great day and stay safe xoxo vinet

Sneak Peek for 100th Post

“Yo, John, doesn’t she look a bit too young to be working a a club?” Jaehyuna asked, looking over to a young girl wearing the waitress uniform, serving some drinks to old sweaty men

Johnny who was just trying to drink and enjoy his night eventually followed Jaehyun’s gaze and landed on the girl that Jaehyun was describing.

Sure, Johnny might’ve opened his own bar with Taeyong’s permission but that doesn’t mean that he allows just about anyone to work in his bar. And while he doesn’t deal with all the miscellaneous work in the bar, he surely memorises his staff and the girl Jaehyun pointed out was never in any parts of Johnny’s memory.

Instead of confronting the girl, Johnny immediately called another waiter to get the current manager and question the girl whom he learned was technically legal to work in a bar as she was 21+ and the manager mentioned that she was only a part-timer on the weekends since they needed more help.

Right when the manager was explaining to Johnny, he saw one of the old men put their hands on the girl’s bare thigh which scared the girl. Angered at the behaviour, Johnny stood up and stomped his way to the scene before the man could go any further.

“This is an exclusive bar and I make sure that all of my staff are always on their best service. But that doesn’t mean that you could just harass them like this” Johnny growled, gripping the older man’s arm tightly that the people nearby could hear a bone crack

“Especially when it’s an old man harassing a young girl” Johnny grunted, pushing the man that he fell off his chair; the other men around the table started to get up, about to put up a fight when Jaehyun came beside Johnny, shielding the girl

“I suggest you all sit your old sweaty asses down unless you want your old bones to be broken” Jaehyun taunted. “Or shall we call Taeyong? Because he’s the co-owner of this bar and I don’t think he would be pleased that his supposed business partners were in his bar, harassing a girl”

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thatsatricky1 · 2 months

Text

𝐀𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 || 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Nct Dream ot7 x Reader.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Angst, Fluff, Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller, Trauma, Weird Humor.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Slight gore, mentions of blood, mentions of being wounded, angst, abandonment.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: This does not depict an accurate picture of Nct Dream and this is strictly fantasy/fiction for entertainment purposes.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: Prologue + 5 Chapters.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 28,8k+

𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬

⤻ Click here.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞:

⤻ Click here.

‘𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈:

⤻ Click here.

‘𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐞?’ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈:

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‘𝐃𝐨𝐯𝐞’ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈𝐈:

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‘𝐅𝐨𝐱’ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐕:

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‘𝐆𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕:

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𝐊𝐩𝐨𝐩 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭:

⤻ Click here.

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hexonthepeach · 6 months

Note

Do you have nct fic rec? Or anything you are currently reading or have read?

i haven't been able to read much nct fic lately since writing/editing has been sucking up all my free time outside of work, and lately i've been reading more ateez (yunho just has a grip on me) but there are a few authors i'll drop everything for so here's the latest i've read from them/started reading but haven't gotten around to reviewing:

@sluttyten - you in my arms (haechan voyeurism/exhibitionism, haven't had the strength to read the last chapter but absolutely a work of art in terms of longform storytelling and mixed perspectives)

@ncteez - expert adversary (taeil office au, adorable read i went down a taeil hole lately for obvious reasons)

@jnnul - ric flair drip (jaehyun college au, this was so fun/fresh/flirty i enjoyed it even though campus/frat stuff is kind of low interest for me)

@yutaholic - there will be blood (yuta assassin/thriller vibes, beware major character death warning. luna writes villain!johnny the best, control is my all-time favorite fic in this vein, it haunts me, i will never be over it)

anything omegaverse, anything johnny, anything at all from @neopuppy, like that's the GOAT there, another godtier johnny fic that lives in my head is dumb, dumb dilf johnny with an age gap ilu i've been meaning to revisit

also i accept recs if you ever want to send anything my way!

#hex peach answers #hex peach fic recs #i have a bunch in drafts that i just reblog privately for later #once december hiatus hits im gonna catch up on a bunch and shower the authors with love in the form of actual commentary

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starillusion13 · 5 months

Text

FAVORITE

Paring: NCT (Taeyong, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Mark, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin) x f! reader

Genre: Thriller, Mafia, Fluff

W.C: 2.2k

Warnings: scared, mention of keeping captive, trusting strangers, hints of giving sedatives.(idk what to add more)

This is for my bestfriend - @mymoodwriting

Note: please I want to thanks to people for reading and reblogging. Reviews are always appreciated . Applause to the ones who come up to me to interact and they know how friendly I am. Okay enough!

Networks: @cultofdionysusnet @k-vanity

Heavy breaths, messy hairs, torn clothes, dirty hands and legs and teary eyes. You are running to nowhere, the path and the directions are very unclear and unfamiliar to you. Despite being a lost soul in this place, your running legs are taking you ahead, atleast to somewhere where you want to be alone and away from these psychos.

Taking a sudden turn, you bump into a big stone and fall on your hands and knees. Your blurry eyes didn’t notice earlier the end of the road and so your sudden turn made you lose your balance and now you are getting more hurt. Earlier while you were running for almost thirty minutes, you have fallen down so many times but quickly got up as your brain has only one motive, to run away as far as you can. You are already hurt so much and bleeding that this new wound and the burning sensation is like a numb to your skin at this point.

“Ah…”

You have sprained your ankle and now you can’t even stand up and the wound on your elbows is getting worse. You scoot to towards the wall to lean back to it and take some rest. Somehow, your breaths slow down and you are observing your cuts and surroundings. You can’t see anyone near and also no footsteps are audible so you relaxed a bit and dusting off the dirt from the wounds to make it less itchy. You are so into in your own world that you didn’t notice the shadow hovering over you. But you kept your senses alert for dangers then why didn’t you got alarmed before?

“Get up.”

You haven’t heard this voice yet the voice is dominating and deep as if his nature is to order around everyone. You didn’t look up to his command but looking down like a hurt and lost puppy. Even if the person is not the one from who you are running away still your senses are telling you to run away for safety. Your body trembling with fear as what could more worst possibilities can happen other than getting caught by those psychos.

“I said get up. I don’t like to repeat.”

The way he said it, you bring your legs more closer and scoot back more if it’s possible and somehow managed to whisper some stupid things.

“But you still repeated.”

Goodbye. That’s the end. Either way you are going to die today if this is the way you are going to reply back to someone.

The said person bends down and spats your hand to roughly hold your jaw and make you look towards him yet your eyes refuse to look at his face.

“Look at me.”

He observes your face meanwhile, few light cuts on your cheeks and hairs wet attached to your forehead as you are sweating so much because of the fear and exhaustion from running. He runs his fingers over your cuts. Your lips dry and teary and tired eyes looking around for help but as soon he tightens his grip, your gaze moves to him.

A literal living Anime character in front of you. Are you dreaming? Or else why such a human would be in front of you bending down and examining your face with a unreadable face. Wait no. He is worried and hurt. Is he showing sympathy to you? Why? Or you are really bad at reading expressions?

“Are you hurt?”

Okay you were correct before and his tone is suddenly totally different from before. Nowhere that rough powerful aura but a soft and caring tone asking you about your condition.

“No, but I might have fallen few times and got cut in different places and now due to this sprained ankle, I can’t even run.”

Someone might think that you are totally fine and joking around with this stranger but deep inside you are screaming for help and you just want this person to go away as you can’t trust him late at night. Also, how will you explain your condition?

“Why were you running this late at night?”

Um. What to say now? Will he believe you? Maybe not. You opt to keep quiet and it’s not to his liking.

“Why were you running? You know-“

“Taeyong, nowhere we can-“

You are literally terrified to see so many men come running towards where you and this man who is apparently, Taeyong is sitting. Now you are getting anxious about the situation and somehow you tried to move aside and get up but your body gave up and you fall down. Taeyong was looking back and got distracted but as soon as he finds you slipping, he catches you and cages you while being in a position, sitting on one knee and holding you to his front, facing you towards others.

Your alarms are alerted and tears flowing from your eyes and head is aching.

“Please please leave me. I’m not going to report you all but please believe me I’m currently in a dangerous situation. Some people are behind me and trying to hunt me down.”

A man in a simple white t-shirt with denim yet giving off his handsomeness, lips in a straight line comes in front of you and bends down. He removes the wet hairs from your face to tug them behind your ears and trace his fingers over your cuts just like Taeyong. Why are they watching you like this?

“Don’t be scared pretty one. We are not going to hurt you.” He looks around to everyone and then smiles at you, dimples showing his smile brighter. “We are not any gangsters that you are going to report. We were just coming back from some personal business and we found you here on the street. Well not we but Taeyong was first to see you.”

You look back to the said man who is holding you down but his grip on your hand and around your torso is gentle, not to hurt you more. He gives you a little smile but you are still not sure what to do.

Another man with round eyes bends down besides the previous man and pats your head.

“Jaehyun is telling right. No need to be afraid. If you are in danger then we are going to help you and keep you safe. Mark my words.”

The way he has a cheerful undertone that making you believe he is your friend who is happy to get you back and will help you in every way in your danger.

You feel hot breath fanning over your ears and goosebumps spread all over your neck due to so close contact. Lips are almost touching your neck and nose bumping your ears and necks as if he is inhaling your scent like an animal.

You take deep breathes to keep yourself normal and not to take his motives in other ways. Suddenly, he whispers.

“Do you want to go home?”

As soon as you heard the question, you look at the third man you met tonight and back at Taeyong. He raises his eyebrows when you stare at him but you only shake your head.

“Why?”

“I..I don’t have one…I don’t know if I have or not…I can’t remember anything.”

Your head is aching again and you hold your head and grunt in pain. Jaehyun removes your hand and massages your scalp and it helps you relax to his touch and your body giving in. Taeyong massages your shoulders and sides and it worked to release the tension from your body. You still don’t know why you are trusting them yet relaxing to their touch.

“Doyoung, hold her. I need to make some calls. Jaehyun, come along with me. I need your help.”

As soon as Taeyong loosen his hold, you try to flee away but Doyoung was quick to jump in action.

“Stay still. You are in safe hands.”

Patting your head, Jaehyun stands up and you miss his touch. Wow, he is a stranger and you are missing him. His place is getting replaced by another man with sharp eyes and jaws, behind him a smirking man looking down at you.

“She is so dirty.”

You look up to the standing man and glare at his comment.

“Haechan, shut up. If you are going to help us then stay or go with Taeyong and Jaehyun and let us know if they need help or not.” Doyoung spat at him.

“Oh no, I’m too busy for that. Tell Jeno to do that.”

The man before you glares at Haechan and then turns towards you, giving his eye smile, alluring you to trust him.

“Hey,I need to change your shirt as it’s infecting your wounds and it’s so dirty. We have extra clothes in Mark’s backpack so you just need to relax okay?”

You again shake your head on Jeno’s words. The one who was sitting in front of you beside Jeno who was patting your head earlier with Jaehyun is already pulling out some clothes from his backpack.

“No no. I don’t need that. I just want to go away. Away from them.”

Another man makes his presence aware while coming beside you and Doyoung, “why are you so afraid of them? What did they do to you?” Jaemin asks you, you got to know his name because Haechan was earlier nudging him to ask you the questions.

Doyoung rubs your arms and urges you to speak. You look towards the end of the street terrified, fearing they would run coming here and take you way with them again. You feel safe in the hands of these strangers but you are scared if they hurt these men also.

“They were keeping me in their house against my will. They kidnapped me few months back. But the memories are blurred. I tried to run away from that place a lot of times but nothing worked. Luckily today I escaped the house.”

“Have you seen their faces?” Haechan asks you.

“No. Maybe I have but the sedatives were so powerful that I couldn’t keep myself in proper senses. They threatened me to give those drugs until I agree to stay with them. They are scary.”

Doyoung soothes your trembling figure, “shh. shh it’s okay. We won’t let you get hurt again. We will keep you safe.”

Jeno holds your shirt to unbutton them but you hold his hand. Mark pulls your wrist and holds them down, “if you want to be saved by us then you need to have trust us. Please let him do his work.”

Hesitatingly, you allow them. Changing you into a different shirt, which is big on you. He cleans the wounds. Your long pants helped you from getting any cut on your legs but your ankle.

“Take this medicine. It will give you relief from the pain.”

You trust him and it’s paining so much that you quickly gulped down the medicine from Jaemin.

You can see Taeyong and Jaehyun walking towards you and Doyoung stands up with you in his arms. You are feeling drowsy, maybe because of exhaustion and sudden movements. He hands you over to Jeno.

“Where are the cars?” Doyoung asks Taeyong.

“By the side near the turning. Is everything alright here?”

Doyoung nods his head and the other one comes near to you smiling, “we are taking you to our house. You will be safe there until we make sure your surroundings are safe and you will be okay alone. You need to trust us or we would look like your captives.”

You slowly nod your head and in few minutes, you fall asleep.

“Y/n?”

“Are you sleeping, y/n?”

Jeno calls out the name to the girl in his arms but when he sees you sleeping peacefully in his arms, he looks up smirking towards them and starts walking towards the car.

Mark playing with the Keys in his hand and whistles, “ I told you my shirt looks the best on her.”

Jaemin catches up to his friend, “she is looking so cute like this. I’m loving her so much, happily and peacefully sleeping in our arms.”

“So it was not that hard?” Taeyong said while watching Jeno and Jaemin managing to make you sleep on Jaemin’s lap. Mark is waiting in the driver seat, watching the scene on his back and then Jeno moves to the passenger seat.

Doyoung enters the backseat with Haechan and Taeyong on passenger seat and Jaehyun taking the lead to drive.

“She is thinking that she could run away because it was her lucky day.”

“But it was all our plan along to make her trust us in different way.” Jaehyun completes Doyoung’s sentence.

“She is scared of us. Are we scary?”Haechan asks others.

“Of course, we are.” Taeyong smirks while looking outside the window.

Haechan looks at the rear mirror, “But even if she calls us scary, she is my favorite.”

“She is always my favorite.” Jaehyun smirks.

Doyoung pokes his side with the tongue before ending the conversation with his phrase.

“Our favorite.”

Perma Taglist: @mymoodwriting @justhere4kpop @anyamaris @yeoobin @icchyi @jwnghyuns @piratequeen-queenofgames @dinonuguaegi @oreharuuu @hwanring @sanwifesstuff @kiwiisnthereoops @kiwiraccoon

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koqabear · 1 year

Text

Only You, Darling.

♡Playlist♡

Love is a sweet, fragile thing. Never a thing that should be forced or manipulated— but they just can’t help it. You’re so sweet and pliant, a perfect angel that falls into their every trick with ease. Love can never be forced— but it can be molded into the perfect puzzle piece, ready to fit into theirs with ease.

beomgyu, yeonjun x reader, ft. Soobin & Jaemin of NCT.

genre: yandere, f2l, s2l, psychological horror, thriller, slowburn, angst fluff...? smut

Word Count:43.8K

Warnings:cursing, mentions of food/alcohol, unrequited love, pining, possessiveness, overprotectiveness, jealousy, mc is oblivious/trusting, hacking, stalking/harassment, toxic relationships, infidelity, lying, manipulation, brief sickness, nausea, mc cries a lot (for good reasons…) tracking, panic attacks, mc gets super paranoid n stressed, threats, arguing, violence, weapons, blood, injuries, MCD, subspace (not explicitly named), unhealthy (and healthy…?) coping mechanisms, power imbalance, recurring nightmares, hallucinations, PTSD, forced isolation, Stockholm syndrome (?), guilt tripping, use of collars, brief starvation, choking, guns, vomiting. Smut warnings:fingering, protected sex, voyeurism (non-consensual), masturbation, use of blindfolds, oral (fem rec.) multiple orgasms, threesome, degradation, praise, teasing, unprotected sex, creampie, sloppy seconds, overstimulation, rough sex. Notes: give it up for the absolute failure that was me trying to release this yesterday. A special thank you to all my readers who remained patient with my bs, I love you all. (ps, the playlist songs are in order!)

This story contains dark themes. Read at your own discretion. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, and do not reflect the idols true morals or character.

No matter what they say— I’ll never meet another you.

Yeonjun was impossibly in love with you.

Simple old you, his childhood friend that managed to stick with him through all the ups and downs. Who put up with his antics, and always managed to trail behind him despite his intense popularity and the attention that was always on him— something that you’ve never been particularly fond of yourself. (At least, that’s what you said, despite your magnetic personality.)

It was a wonder to him, how you still allowed him to follow you around, sticking to you like glue, unable to keep his eyes off you. Just like now— you had yet to look up from your phone, oblivious to the world around you as you nodded along to whatever song was blasting in your headphones.

God, you were so cute. It was a thought Yeonjun always found himself thinking; yet, despite his longing glances and soft smiles that always remained plastered whenever he was around you, you never noticed a thing— and maybe that made him like you a little bit more.

“___,” he said, smiling softly as you had yet to notice him, still lost in whatever it was you had been looking at. He frowned, irked at your lack of attention as he leaned forward, chest pressing against the wood of the library’s table as he tried again. Your name slipped past him once more in a gentle voice, his eyes boring into your skin as he waited for you to respond.

Nothing.

“___.” He watched the way you jumped in your seat, eyes wide as you finally looked up at Yeonjun. The said boy leans back, huffing harshly as he watches you hastily pause your music, pulling your headphones out your ears as you sheepishly look at him.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice you,” you admit, gaze downcast from the way he narrows his eyes at you, annoyed at how long it took you to pay attention to him. He doesn’t believe you, and you can see it on his face as he raises a brow at you, arms crossed as he tilts his head.

“I’m serious, jun! I just thought it was another person who wanted to sit here,” you pout, fiddling nervously with your headphones as you try your best to meet his gaze. He can only scoff at that, rolling his eyes as he looks off into a random section of books— he’s afraid that he might give in if you look at him like that any longer.

“You need to be more aware of your surroundings,” Yeonjun warned, finally setting aside his anger as he looks back at you, the familiar teasing making you shake your head in amusement, “you could’ve been in danger.”

“Yeah right,” it’s your turn to scoff as you begin to put away your things that had been scattered all along the desk— you had been trying to take a break from studying, but the moment you reached for your phone, it had all been over for you.

“Like anything interesting would happen to me,” you mused, unaware of the way Yeonjun could only frown at the thought. Your head snapped up at the sound of him standing, the frown still etched on his features as he reached to take your bag from you, slinging it over his shoulders before you could complain. Taking your hand, he leads you out of the library, fingers laced tightly with yours as he scolds you on your way out.

“You never know,” he says, pulling you closer at the very thought. Rolling your eyes, you bump your shoulder with his, a silent reassurance as you allow him to lead you along the campus, probably leading you back to the small diner where the two of you had spent most of your life.

Yeonjun had been with you longer than you could remember— you were practically childhood friends. You had always found him by your side throughout all of middle and high school, always in the background of your memories despite you never really talking to him much. He was always entangled within your friend groups, and before you knew it, the large circle of people quickly dwindled to just the two of you as everyone went their separate ways— leaving the nice coincidence of you attending the same college as him.

With nothing left but the familiar face that was Yeonjun, it was inevitable that the two of you would end up so close; you had always found yourself coming back to him when in need of comfort, the itch to find a reminder of the small hometown you both moved away from leading straight to him— and he welcomed you with open arms each time.

To you, Yeonjun was like home. He was warm and comforting, a reminder that you always had something safe and protective to come back to. He was the greatest friend you could ask for.

And he hated it.

He resented the label silently, always being bitterly pushed aside whenever a new guy would find interest in you. He wishes for nothing more than for you to rid him of the chains you’ve trapped him in, restricting him from ever allowing you to see a future with him.

He wishes you could see him as something more than a friend, but he would never admit it to you; he could never imagine losing you— the very thought made him sick to his stomach.

So instead, he allowed himself to wallow in shame on the sidelines, left with nothing but a constant reminder that you would never see him in a different light.

-♡♡♡-

Beomgyu was also impossibly in love with you.

He loves everything about you, from the small ticks you get when you’ve been sitting for too long, to the way you twirl your hair in your fingers when you concentrate. You’re perfect in every way, a gorgeous angel put in his path to pull him away from the dark corners of his restless mind.

He knows exactly when it all began— unlike Yeonjun, who still seems to be in denial of his feelings. You were always so sweet to him, a regular at the library he worked at, the endless piles of books you would take back and forth allowing him to strike up small conversations with you whenever he would check your books out. You would go home, and it wouldn’t be long until Beomgyu would see you coming back in.

If he was lucky enough, you would spend hours in the library, pouring endlessly over essays and assignments that never seemed to end with you, your figure always hunched over your trusty computer— that was where Beomgyu got his first opening.

“No no no, this can’t be happening,” you’re muttering quietly to yourself, tucked away in a secluded corner of the library, hands frantically hovering over the keyboard as you try to fix your computer, which froze before you could save your essay. You’re practically on the verge of tears, the frustration building up inside you so intensely as you slide a finger hopelessly on the mousepad, the last inkling of hope fading inside you as a frozen screen is all you get in return.

Beomgyu is a witness to it all— what started as an innocent favor to reshelve books quickly became an excuse to see you, inevitably rooted to the spot as he watched you peacefully work all alone— he always saw you with other people on campus, so to be able to see you alone like this, was much more personal to him.

He frowned, watching the way you’re practically pulling your hair out—his heart is pounding against his chest, and before he can overthink things, he’s approaching you shyly.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

You’re caught off guard at the sudden question, your head snapping up as you’re met with the sight of the cute librarian that you always see here— well, this is embarrassing. You’re reluctant as you explain your situation, brushing it off with a laugh as you solemnly glance back at your computer— with a wince, you notice the way the screen turns black.

“I know my way around computers pretty well. Maybe I could fix it?”

Those words really shouldn’t have gotten your hopes up as much as they did, but you couldn’t help it, not with the way this cute worker is offering his services, his eyes that shine under his glasses shyly flitting away as you lean towards him eagerly.

“Really?” A part of you can’t help but be naive as he nods, but the stubborn skepticism inside you crawls back out as you lean back in your chair, eyeing him warily as you ask, “How much will you charge?”

“Ah, no— I won’t charge you, really…” you’re sold on his words— if it doesn’t work, then you’ll go to an actual professional. But for now, you’re motioning to the chair across from you, watching as he quickly glances around the area before he sits down, hesitant in his movements.

Slowly, you hand your laptop to him, watching his every move as you patiently wait for him to do his thing. You can’t understand what he’s doing, but you’re oddly convinced as his eyes narrow at the sight of your device, already focused on his task as he goes quiet. He doesn’t even spare you a glance.

But what you don’t see is Beomgyu’s shaky hands and stuttering breaths— he’s nervous. He can feel your stare on him, and it’s making this simple task seem impossible to him. Your eyes are curious as you watch him, and he can’t help but be endeared at the sight. He’s peeking at you from the corner of his eye, brain short-circuiting at the fact that he has all of your attention on him, and only him.

You're looking away at the sound of your phone buzzing on the table, and Beomgyu can’t help but frown at the way your face lights up entirely at the sight of the caller ID. He wishes he had more self-restraint, but he can’t help it as he listens to your hushed whispers on the phone, watching as you lean back in your chair and speak fondly into the phone.

“Hi junie,” you greet, your voice sweet and affectionate at the nickname. Yeonjun. Beomgyu frowns as he realizes who you were talking to.

The man was always with you— even when you would come into the library alone, it wouldn’t be long before Yeonjun would be walking in, eager eyes searching for your figure before he clung to you helplessly. It annoyed Beomgyu to no end— seeing him there, with you, allowing himself to be as touchy and as clingy as he pleased while you sat oblivious to it all.

On days when he came in to interrupt your studies, Beomgyu would quickly find himself in the back offices, doing boring paperwork to get away from the sight. He would grit his teeth and wouldn’t come out of the secluded space until half an hour passed; that was usually how much longer you would stay whenever the annoying man would appear.

And he would check out your books, as usual— but he would remain silent, lips pressed in a fine line as he would watch the way Yeonjun would try to consume all your attention, stealing any precious time he might have had with you.

“Yeah, I am,” you replied, your leg beginning to bounce softly as you spoke on the phone— one of your habits Beomgyu always took note of. “No, I didn’t see it. My computer froze, what’d you send?”

Beomgyu was on autopilot by now, your computer already restarting as he saw your account— you didn’t have a password set up.

So naive, he frowns, and before he can second guess his actions, he’s logging into your account.

This is wrong, Beomgyu thinks, the thought a small ripple in the grand expanse of his mind as he sidetracks from checking to see if you had any viruses— and goes straight to the notification that pops up.

He shouldn’t be doing this— you’re right there… he reminds himself, but a quick glance at you and he sees that you’re too distracted to see what he’s doing. You’re still on the phone, your voice barely making a sound as you stare out the window, seemingly searching for something.

Or rather, someone. Beomgyu realizes bitterly. And with that surge of anger, he clicks on the file that has been shared with you.

It’s nothing special— some pictures from a vacation you took, he assumes. But at that moment, Beomgyu is sitting so close to you, yet he feels as though you’re miles away from him, practically unreachable as you continue to smile sweetly at your conversation, your eyes crinkling cutely.

And as he scrolls through them slowly, he finds himself frowning at the sight. Most— if not all— of the pictures are riddled with Yeonjun. Truly, what could he have possibly expected? But something about seeing you, happy and energetic—your skin practically glowing as pictures of you on the beach and tropical areas riddle the folder— makes him seethe.

Because there’s no doubt that it was him alongside you all along. And all those pictures of you, dressed in flowy garments and revealing summer clothes, were taken by him. He’s in some of them, pulling you close in each one without fail. If Beomgyu hadn’t known any better, he would’ve even thought that you two were together.

“Oh, you’re here? I’m in the back of the library, by the historical section,” you say, and Beomgyu is quick to exit out of the folder, his fingers twitching as he catches sight of a picture of you and Yeonjun, your eyes shut tightly and a grin on your face as Yeonjun plants a firm kiss on your cheek, the setting sun behind you casting a glow on your figures.

He’s back to his task as he does a quick check through your computer— seeing if any sketchy files have been downloaded, or if you had any viruses. Sure enough, he finds some, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary as he takes quick care of it, placing protective measures on your computer as he tries to get the album of pictures out of his mind.

But for some reason, he can’t. And it becomes even harder to do so when he hears footsteps coming his way, your figure perking up as you wave him over happily. It’s hard to forget, and it’s even harder to ignore the burning stare that he feels on his back as the man walks closer. Beomgyu doesn’t bother looking up, but he knows that Yeonjun is looking down at him curiously, and he can practically hear the question that is running through the man’s mind.

Who was he? Why did he have your laptop?

“He’s fixing my laptop,” you grin, eyes shining under the lights of the building as you look up at Yeonjun from where you sit. It’s instant, the way Yeonjun’s face changes as his attention is brought onto you, a smile tugging at his lips as he nods in understanding.

“I see,” Yeonjun hums, but it’s a wonder how you don’t notice the blatant dislike in his eyes as they flick back to Beomgyu. Yeonjun shifts, now looking over Beomgyu’s shoulder as he watches his actions closely, not bothering to hide his skepticism as he asks, “So what’d you find?”

“Couple of viruses, nothing too harmful,” Beomgyu responds quickly, beginning to explain what happened to your laptop. He knows neither of you understands what he’s saying, his complex terms lost on your heads as he tries to not laugh at the way you feign complete understanding as you nod along politely.

“I’ve also installed some protection software and adblockers, so hopefully that should help,” he adds, glancing up to see you grinning happily at him— at him, for once. You’re looking straight into his eyes, and Beomgyu can’t help the way he feels a childlike bashfulness take over him, a shaky hand slowly closing the laptop before he’s sliding it back to you.

“You should really add a password to it, by the way. I’m sorry I got into your account, but I promise I didn’t look through anything,” you don’t even second guess his words, and Beomgyu wishes he could feel guilt for his actions. But when Yeonjun is already beginning to whisk you away, any remorse he may have felt is quickly swept away.

It happens so quickly, and Beomgyu is alone again before he knows it.

-♡♡♡-

“That guy from the library— do you know him?”

You currently stand in line at a boba shop as you stare up at the menu, snapped out of your daze at Yeonjun’s words. Reluctantly, you glance away from the endless options to meet your friend's eyes, sending him a confused look as you take in just how serious he was.

“Not really… We‘re not like, friends, I guess. But I always see him when I go to the library, and we’ve talked a couple of times. Why?”

Yeonjun wishes you would stop being so trusting of strangers— it was one of the things that always kept him on guard whenever you hung out together. He resists the urge to run a hand through his hair at your words, already feeling his stress spike up from your confession.

“So you just let that random guy go through your laptop like that?” Yeonjun says, unable to hide his frustration. You’re surprised, eyes widening as he suddenly snaps at you— why would he be so worked up about this? Sure, you took a risk trusting him like that, but it all turned out well in the end; free of charge, too.

“I mean, he fixed it, didn’t he?” You retaliate, stepping forward as another person finishes their order, “Plus, it’s not like I have anything worth seeing or stealing on there— and I was right there the whole time, watching him.”

You can tell he’s still irritated by the situation, but you’re quick to ignore him as you turn to the worker to give her your order, blocking out Yeonjun’s persistent stare.

He would never admit it, but the only thing that bothered him was the sight of you wholeheartedly trusting a stranger— plus, the sight of another man sitting across from you so comfortably spiked Yeonjun’s heart rate for a second. He can tell that you’re annoyed with him as you pay for your order, not even bothering to argue with his offer to pay for you as you go pick out a table to sit at.

He’s left alone for a moment, and as Yeonjun absentmindedly orders his usual, he can’t help but think back to the way the man sitting across from you seemed to be in awe of your very presence, his sweet gestures and shy demeanor telling Yeonjun everything he needed to know.

A sudden urge to visit you at the library more often hits him.

-♡♡♡-

Yeonjun has always been too ambitious for his own good— Beomgyu is quick to realize this.

He’s a selfish man, always wanting you for himself yet never really making a move in fear of losing you— he’s a coward. His hard work will chalk up to nothing if all he can bring himself to do is follow you around like an idiot.

The sight has always been quite funny to Beomgyu. The boy has never been secretive about his feelings for you, yet you’re still painfully oblivious— Beomgyu likes to think you’re only pretending, and you don’t like the boy back— but he knows it’s not an act; that’s just how you are.

You’re oblivious to the world around you; you have yet to become aware of the boy in your ten am class that always itches to sit near you— of course, you’re also painfully unaware of the way Beomgyu shares this class with you, and uses it as an advantage to be able to watch you peacefully, away from any interruptions as he sits a few rows behind you.

The boy in your ten am class is itching to sit near you again. But this time, something’s different; Beomgyu frowns deeply as he watches the boy approach you. Beomgyu watches from afar, watching the way the boy meekly points to the seat next to you— he grits his teeth when you nod happily.

Honestly, Beomgyu shouldn’t be one to judge— he can’t bring himself to come up to you either. But he still allows himself to be pissed as he watches the two of you begin to talk; it’s even worse when you laugh softly, beginning to get friendlier as you lean into him.

The class is ruined. Beomgyu can’t bring himself to process a word that’s said by his professor, his eyes inevitably trailing back to your figure as he feels another surge of annoyance go through him at the sight of the boy next to you leaning in to whisper something— you laugh softly at his words.

And even when class ends, Beomgyu is quick to notice the way the boy still lingers around you; Jaemin, his name was. The sudden memory of who he was hits him, and it isn’t long before he’s walking out of class, accidentally trailing the two of you as he watches you continue your conversations happily.

He’s surprised to find Jaemin still stuck by your side by the time he spots Yeonjun in the distance— and is even more surprised to find you warming up to the man beside you so quickly. You’re playful… flirtatious, even. And with that single thought, Beomgyu feels his stomach twist harshly.

And he knows he’s not the only one who feels this way; he’s fallen behind, watching from afar as Yeonjun’s body language shifts at the sight of you with yet another man— he’s stiff, rigid almost, his eyes hardening as he watches Jaemin input his number into your phone. But he’s left powerless, forced to watch as Jaemin takes a step closer to your heart than he ever will.

You’re slow to notice him; that’s the final nail in the coffin. You seem to be quite reluctant to leave Jaemin, Yeonjun notes bitterly. He can almost taste the bitterness on his tongue as he watches the way you smile sweetly to your classmate, waving him goodbye before you’re turning back to him, the dreamy look in your eye rooting Yeonjun to the spot.

A look that you’ll never direct to him.

“He seems nice,” Yeonjun offhandedly comments, and he watches with regret as you curl up shyly at his words, your eyes sparkling as you bat at his arm playfully.

“Yeah, I’ve had a crush on him since forever,” you’re whispering the words, but it all sounds deafening to him as he watches the way you giggle at your own sentence. “I can’t believe he came up to me. And he gave me his number!”

Even from a distance, Beomgyu can tell that you’ve said something that has broken the boy beside you— but oddly enough, it only serves to brighten up his day a little.

“Are we still on to try out that new restaurant tomorrow?” A small part of Yeonjun hopes that you’ll still have him as a priority in his heart. But when he sees you throw him an apologetic smile, he can’t bring himself to be surprised.

“He asked me out on a date,” you say, sincerely apologetic as you watch the way your friend slumps down at your words. You’re quick to console him, grabbing onto his hand as you hold it tightly between your own, looking into his eyes as you say, “I promise I’ll make it up to you. Rain check?”

“Rain check,” Yeonjun reluctantly grits out, unable to ignore the way his heart softens at the way you happily thank him, continuing your ramblings on how excited you are to finally have a shot with the cute boy in your ten am class.

Beomgyu was right— because even now, as you go on about what outfits you could wear tomorrow, all Yeonjun can think of is how he can turn all your attention back on him.

-♡♡♡-

Yeonjun always thought of himself as a patient man.

Hell, he’s had to deal with his love for you for years— and he’s still hopeful for a happy ending.

Yet, he’s not sure if he can go on playing the long game. Countless attempts to woo you have always failed, so to see you wrapped around Jaemin’s finger so quickly makes him blinded with rage. It’s pathetic; Yeonjun knows this. Yet he’s unable to move on— it’s impossible for him, and despite his past attempts to get you out of his head, it’s plain to see that he’ll always come back to you.

Even now, when you spot Yeonjun as you pass along the sidewalk, and can only shoot him a bright smile as Jaemin pulls you along to the restaurant you mentioned the boy would take you to yesterday.

You’re too oblivious for your own good, Yeonjun thinks sadly, shaking his head at the fact that you didn’t even bother questioning why he might be in the area, most likely chalking it all up to coincidence— it wasn’t as if he had any malicious intentions, right?

That’s what he’d like to think, but as he lingers in front of the restaurant, able to spot your figure easily as you’re finally seated, he can’t seem to ignore the anger and jealousy that’s directed towards the man across from you.

And that would make two.

Because Beomgyu has spotted Yeonjun, the shopping bag from the bookstore crinkling tightly in his hand as he finally spots what the man might be looking at— the anger only rises more when he takes in the audacity Yeonjun has to continue to follow you around.

His walk home is ruined. His steps are brisk and his jaw ticks with every thought that sends him back to the scene.

What a brute, Beomgyu thinks to himself, tossing his bag aside roughly as he enters his apartment. His whole mood has been ruined, because now he realized that he has not one, but two obstacles in the way of you.

There is never a moment when you’re alone. It’s a thought that sours Beomgyu’s thoughts, pacing back and forth in his room as he tries to cool down. What he would give to be able to see you, alone and at peace, for just a moment.

He paces along his desk, past his computer. Once, twice, three times, before he finally slows down his steps, hands that were restlessly running through his hair now frozen as an idea comes to him, like the gentle whisper begging him to give in to his desires.

He could watch you all he wanted.

Alone.

Beomgyu pushes the thought away— it was beyond disgusting. You trusted him wholeheartedly yesterday at the library, so for him to invade your privacy— to invade your life, was just cruel.

But he just couldn’t get the thought out of his head.

The whisper was consistent, a sweet voice that ate through his doubts. It opened his darkest secrets, indulging in his every hidden desire as he thought back to you. As he thought back to every memory, every interaction, every smile that you sent him.

He found himself hovering over his keyboard, mind on autopilot as he typed away.

It wasn’t easy. His stomach would twist and his mind would swim with nausea every time he was reminded of what he was doing, but it wasn’t long before the whispers in his mind overtook every doubt he had left.

The guilt was temporary. And before he knew it, he was met with a sight that wouldn’t be able to leave his mind for the next few nights; your room.

His hands were shaking and a shiver ran down his spine as he sat back, exhaling slowly as he took in the peaceful emptiness of it all. He took in every detail— the posters on the wall, the pattern of your curtains, the stuffed animals on your bed— it was all ingrained in his head in an instant.

He’s not sure how long he sat there, staring at your room with a dumbstruck look on his face. But it seems like it must’ve been an obscene amount of time, because he’s quickly snapping out of his daze at the sound of a door slamming.

It’s you, he quickly realizes, the sounds of your happy giggles sending flashes of hot nerves down his spine, his body stiffening with anticipation. He can hear the soft thumps of you stumbling around, your words slurred as you finally appear in the frame.

And so does Jaemin.

Beomgyu can feel his blood freeze as he watches it all unfold. You’re tipsy, uncoordinated, and clumsy as you allow Jaemin to push you onto the bed, laughing softly as he takes in your small squeal. He’s quick to get back on you, lips fervently attached to your skin as he sucks, tastes, and bites.

He can practically see the marks bloom already. Beomgyu is unsure of how he feels— and is surprised to find that rage is beginning to overwhelm him. Many emotions are swirling rampantly inside, ranging from jealousy to an undeniable want that shakes him.

It’s hard to look away. Even when he wants nothing more than to tear that man away from you, it’s hard. His throat is dry and his eyes are stuck on your figure, from the way you arch and lean into his every touch, to the way you shakily thread a hand into the man’s hair.

He can feel his hands shake as they rub against his thighs uneasily, his heart jumping as he listens to the surprised moan you loudly let out when Jaemin slips a hand under your waistband. Beomgyu can’t even bring himself to blink as he watches your every movement closely, taking in the way your hips roll and buck up into the man’s hands, his lips still on your skin as a trail of marks is left in his wake.

It’s hard to watch— but it’s even harder to look away. Especially when your brows twitch with concentration, your mouth falling open as you allow the man above you to roughly finger you, your soft pants and moans falling from your lips and putting Beomgyu in a trance.

You’re perfect, Beomgyu finds himself thinking, and without realizing it, his hand has found the outline of his hardened cock. He’s concentrated, eyes pinned on your hips to watch the sight of Jaemin’s fingers pounding into you so harshly.

The longer he watches, the longer he lets his imagination run astray— and it’s no longer Jaemin above you— it’s him. He’s the one who’s got you pinned, drinking up every moan and whimper that leaves your lips, teeth sinking into every possible place where you could be claimed as his.

Beomgyu’s pace on his cock is brutal, following along with the pace set, brows furrowed as his imagination runs wild. He’s the one who’s laughing at you cruelly, taking in the way your legs shut harshly against his hand, the other being used to pry you back open as he watches your face be overtaken by ecstasy.

Beomgyu’s hips are bucking up into his hand as he watches, slowing back down to nothing more than a teasing pace as he watches Jaemin kiss you roughly, your legs wrapping around his waist and pulling him in as you lose yourself in his lips. Beomgyu’s lip is caught in his teeth as Jaemin rolls on a condom, positioning himself between your legs as he allows himself to tease you, a grin on his face as he listens to your soft pleading.

And once more, it’s Beomgyu that finally enters you, taking no time to let you adjust— it’s rough, your yelp drowned out by the rest of your sounds that slip out uncontrollably, the pace that he set for you too much for you to keep up with. And he’s the one to whisper into your ear, only it’s nothing but praise that rolls off his tongue, sweet and never-ending as he brings you to end, allowing himself to indulge in you even as you slump with bliss.

Beomgyu’s eyes are screwed shut; his stomach feels heavy— this is wrong. So, so so wrong. It’s what his mind screams at him, the last sane part repeating the prayer over and over again in hopes to steer him away from this rabbit hole. His chest heaves, and as your sweet whimpers echo in his ears, he can feel the way that the last sane part of his mind is slowly shut down.

It’s hard to ignore how badly he wants you. Because in the end, when Beomgyu opens his eyes again, it’s just him, and you’re nowhere in sight.

-♡♡♡-

Beomgyu has fallen deeply into the rabbit hole.

He swears he didn’t intend it to turn this way— just watching you from the sidelines was more than enough. But now, because of his careless actions, he couldn’t bring himself to look in your direction without feeling a myriad of emotions.

It’s hard to continue the casual banter you have when you check out books; how was Beomgyu supposed to get your pretty sounds out of his head? He always tried his hardest to not stare at you too hard, but he swears his eyes just keep wandering down to your lips. Yet you’re here, smiling at him, not a care in the world as you check out the next book in the series you’re reading.

His hands are shaking— what would you think of him? If you knew what he had done, what he thought of you…

Beomgyu’s reluctant to watch you go, but he knows it’s for the best. He’s not sure he could control his heart any longer, his hands trembling and fumbling with the computer keys as he pathetically pretends as though he wasn’t following your every movement.

Time passes, and he can’t keep you out of his thoughts for more than ten seconds.

He might go mad at this point— it’s been hours since his shift at the library, but it feels like years at this point. He finds himself in his room, unable to think straight as he glances back at his computer— he hasn’t touched it since that day. His mind scolds him; was he really thinking of reaching this new low?

Beomgyu feels as though he’s lost control of himself— his hands move on their own accord, his mind is blank, throat dry as he stares at his screen expectantly— he nearly falls out of his chair when your eyes stare back at him.

Oh…

It takes him a second before it finally clicks, a glance to see what you’re doing on your screen allowing him to slump back in relief. You’re absentmindedly watching a video, eyes glancing back at your screen ever so often as you touch up your eyebrows.

He frowns— were you going somewhere?

You’re all dressed up, as beautiful as ever as you anxiously check the time. The sound of buzzing reaches the computer’s microphone, and Beomgyu watches as you look at your phone, a grin overtaking your features as you recognize the contact.

He watched as you giggle happily, nervous to answer as you pause your video— it takes you a second before you accept the call.

“Hi,” you answer, voice soft and sweet as you stare off into space. You’re shy, even though the person on the line can’t see you; you’re fixing your hair nervously, listening to the other person intently.

“You can’t?”

Beomgyu finds himself leaning forward at those two words, as though getting closer to his computer would allow him to listen to your conversation better. He watches the way you slowly deflate, nodding softly as you sink back into your chair.

“But… we already got the tickets…”

Silence. You’re biting at your lip dejectedly, eyes downcast as you nod along to the words on the other side. You’re upset— Beomgyu can feel his heart rate increase at the realization.

“No, it’s okay— I’ll just go on my own since I already got it…” your voice is trailing off, unable to mask your disappointment as you try to reassure the man on the other side.

“Yeah, I heard the butterfly garden is supposed to be really pretty. Yeah, I’ll send you pictures…” you’re not fooling anyone; your pouty voice and airy tone gave away just how upset you were. But you continue to reassure the man anyway, even if doesn’t deserve it.

“Don’t worry about it, minnie. Yeah, see you,” you say, and Beomgyu can’t help the way he prickles at the nickname. You’re scoffing once you hang up on the man, throwing your phone at your desk, the irritation coursing through your body as you stand up suddenly.

“What’s the point of going to the Botanical Garden on my own? It was supposed to be a cute date together,” you huff, fixing your outfit in the mirror as you put on perfume. Beomgyu can’t help the way his mind immediately begins to run with ideas— you’d be going alone, after being stood up by your date; this might just be an opportunity for him.

He’s an uncoordinated mess as he fumbles around his room, doing his best to look put together as he glances back to his screen to check if you’ve left yet. His heart is practically beating out of his chest from the thought of going through with his plan, but he can’t bring himself to think about it when he sees you grab your keys, storm out of your room, and undoubtedly get ready to leave.

He shuts his computer down before he’s following suit, checking the address on his phone before he’s on his way, wondering just how long it might take for you to get there, hoping it’s the same location you’re going to.

Beomgyu is in too deep, but he can’t bring himself to care much.

-♡♡♡-

The gardens are beautiful.

It only leaves you in a worse mood as you take your time to walk around, looking at the carefully curated flowers and plants that cover the greenhouse. It was empty for a late fall night, and you’re sure it would have made for a perfect intimate mood.

But no, you think bitterly, turning on your heels as you spot a couple in the distance, Jaemin just couldn’t come. How convenient. You’re not sure if his words were truthful, and that only made things worse. You couldn’t help but keep him in your thoughts, trying your best to distract yourself only to fail miserably— he hasn’t been spending much time with you recently. Has he used you? Did he get his fill of you already, dumping you easily and leaving you to chase after him like a fool? You wish you could deny those assumptions, but honestly, you weren’t sure.

You’re not sure how long you spent wandering around the greenhouse, but as you’re finally approaching the butterfly room you had been putting off all night, you’re surprised to find it empty. You’re left in awe as you take in this new area, the anticipation of seeing the butterfly-filled room lifting your mood immediately.

All thoughts of Jaemin are forced out of your mind as you take pictures of the garden, deciding to take some of yourself as well when you finally make sure that no one else will be coming in.

It isn’t until you’re ready to leave that you see him.

“Beomgyu,” you don’t realize you’ve said his name aloud until he’s turning to you, his head tilting in confusion. Your body bubbles with shame and embarrassment— why did you do that?

“I— I’m sorry,” you stutter out, all confidence drained as you make eye contact with him. You’re avoiding his gaze, much too embarrassed about your slip-up as you try to explain yourself. “I just wanted to… thank you again… for fixing my computer.”

He’s dressed casually, the difference in the professional attire he usually wears taking an odd effect on you as he comes closer to you— you’re left in awe by how nice he smells. You can almost feel your heart stop at the way he smiles at you, placing his hands in the pockets of his oversized zip-up as he tilts his head again, amused at the way you continue to talk.

“I don’t know how you did it, but it’s almost running faster than it was before,” you say, trying your best to make sure you’re not being awkward. (It’s not working, obviously.) You’re rambling, hoping desperately that he gives in and talks to you, going further than the usual small talk you always have at the library.

“It wasn’t that hard, don’t worry about it.” Is all he says, unable to take his eyes off you even as you shrink shyly under his gaze. “What brings you here so late?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” you’re quick to deflect his question, but Beomgyu allows it to happen as watches the way you tense up.

“Just a nice place to destress,” his answer is simple and vague, and you’re wishing he would go more in-depth as he takes a moment to look around, staring at a butterfly that landed nearby. But he’s turning back to you, eyes glinting teasingly as he asks, “what about you?”

“Uh,” you maul his question through your mind for a second, and you’re surprised when you find yourself answering honestly. “It was supposed to be a date, but he blew me off.”

“Really? What a shame,” he says, eyebrows raising in surprise slightly at your words. “He doesn’t know what he’s missing out on.”

A satisfaction bubbles up in Beomgyu’s chest as he watches the way you turn shy at his words, a soft giggle leaving your lips as you turn away, shaking your head in denial. But he insists, and it isn’t long until he has you wrapped around his finger, the conversation flowing smoothly as you finally break through his shell.

It’s odd seeing this side of Beomgyu. Unlike the reserved, quiet worker at the library, the man who stands before you exudes confidence, his glasses discarded as he smiles teasingly at you, charismatic and magnetic as you quickly find your heart beating faster the longer you look at him. The garden that surrounds you almost fades away in your mind, and before you know it, time slips by and you allow Beomgyu to escort you out to your car.

And you’re not sure if you should be embarrassed, but you’re almost reluctant to see him go as he leaves you, the strange feeling of wanting to see him more often blooming in your mind— you wish you would’ve gotten his number.

-♡♡♡-

Everything went a little too well.

Beomgyu isn’t exactly counting on things to go easy for him— and he’s only proven right the next time he comes to class.

Jaemin is sitting next to you again; but to Beomgyu’s delight, you’re ignoring him. He watches Jaemin try to apologize to you, reassuring you that he didn’t mean to cancel on you at the last minute. But just as Beomgyu thinks you might actually stand your ground, he watches as Jaemin whispers lowly to you, his pleading eyes and seemingly sincere act finally winning you over as you finally turn to him.

It irks him, and he can’t even muster up a polite look when you finally see him out of the corner of your eye, turning around to send him a cute smile. It’s brief, and you’re turning back around the moment your professor begins to speak— unlike Jaemin, who takes a moment to look Beomgyu up and down, eyes narrowed and a scowl on his face as he makes eye contact with him.

Beomgyu expects nothing less when Jaemin sends a glare to him, turning around before he’s wrapping an arm around your waist, pulling you in protectively— but it sure as hell does piss him off.

Jaemin won’t last, Beomgyu reassures himself, watching as you throw the boy next to you a confused look, only to shrug off his behavior.

He’ll make sure of that.

-♡♡♡-

Beomgyu finds his opening quickly.

Who else would be just as eager to get rid of Jaemin? The answer comes like second nature.

Yeonjun.

Beomgyu doubts he’ll have to do anything to get Yeonjun on board with him— he can practically see the gears grind on their own in Yeonjun’s head the moment you emerge from class, giggly and cute as you stick to Jaemin’s side. He’ll have no problem planting ideas in Yeonjun’s head; in fact, he thinks Yeonjun may end up with some of his own.

And he was correct, of course.

Because how did you succumb to Jaemin so easily? He’s irritated, standing in his usual spot as he waits for you to look his way. But you’re far too engrossed in what the man before you is saying, your eyes not leaving his once.

Just a few days ago, he had stayed up late on the phone with you, listening to your rant on how your date had been canceled at the last minute. Yeonjun had listened to you, reassuring your worries and insecurities through gritted teeth as he listened to the way you pondered giving him a second chance— he wanted nothing more than to tell you to open your eyes, that Jaemin would most likely use you.

“He’s nothing but bad news.”

Yeonjun practically jumped at the sound of this new voice— how long had he been there? Swiftly, he turns to face the man, eyes narrowing the moment he recognizes the man before him— the guy from the library.

“Do I know you?” Yeonjun scoffs, eyes involuntarily glancing back at the conversation you’re still sharing with Jaemin. The man before him only laughs at this question, shaking his head as he reaches a hand up to adjust his hair. Yeonjun watches him, oddly tense as the librarian offers his hand out to Yeonjun.

“Choi Beomgyu,” the librarian introduces, patiently watching as Yeonjun hesitates to accept his outstretched hand.

“Choi Yeonjun,” Yeonjun reluctantly replies, grasping the man’s hand in a firm handshake. He shivers, unable to look away from Beomgyu’s eyes; it feels as though they were piercing through him.

“I know,” Beomgyu says, and though Yeonjun expected this, he can’t help but be unnerved by the man before him. Pulling away, Yeonjun is quick to shove his hands back into his jacket’s pockets, pulling the coat tighter around his form as he tries to play it off as the cold breeze getting to him—when really, he can’t help but try to shield himself from Beomgyu.

“You’re always around ___.”

“Do— do you know her?” It’s almost amusing how quick Yeonjun is to become defensive, shoulders tense and eyes narrowed in suspicion at the sound of your name.

“Of course,” Beomgyu says, his words doing nothing to reassure Yeonjun as the two men turn to glance back at you, to the way you’re finally waving Jaemin goodbye; slowly, you turn around, spotting Yeonjun in the distance as you wave happily— you’re unable to hold back the way your head tilts in confusion at the sight of Beomgyu as well.

“I have a class with her— and also, she’s always at the library,” Beomgyu says, a soft smile overtaking his face as you shyly wave at him as well.

“Well, what do you want then?” Yeonjun hisses, eager to get the man before him to leave. Slowly, Beomgyu turns back to the man, reluctant to tear his eyes away from you for even a second. Yeonjun can’t help but shiver, the man’s intentions already beginning to show in his eyes.

“The same thing you do,” Beomgyu says, voice quiet as you stroll happily in the distance, taking your time to enjoy the scenery as you allow them to talk— you wouldn’t want to be rude and interrupt their conversation, after all.

“I want Jaemin gone.”

Beomgyu can see the way something clicks for Yeonjun, his eyes flicking back to him instantly as the words leave his mouth. There’s no hint of a joke in Beomgyu’s eyes, and the pause is tense as he waits for Yeonjun to say something.

“He’s no good— quite unfaithful, I heard,” Beomgyu says, watching as the words hook Yeonjun instantly. It’s hard to fight back a smile, but Beomgyu succeeds in doing so as he continues to elaborate, already knowing what the man’s response will be. “The boy has already ditched her once— It’s a good thing I was there to keep her company— but who’s to say he won’t do it again?”

The date, Yeonjun thinks, eyes widening as he recalls you mentioning someone keeping you company, it was him.

“What are you playing at,” Yeonjun’s heart is beating harshly against his chest, unable to hide the way he jumps at the sound of you calling his name. He turns, ignoring the way Beomgyu stares at him, his eerie aura sending shivers down his spine as he greets you cheerfully.

“Meet me at the library in an hour and you’ll see.”

The words echo in Yeonjun’s mind, even as you cheerfully grab onto his sleeve, pulling at it as you cling to him, the cold breeze sending shivers through your whole body. He hopes you can’t see through his facade, but he knows he won’t have to worry about a thing when you simply look at Beomgyu, eyes widening as a smile overtakes your face.

“Oh, hi,” you say, and Beomgyu can’t help but smile fondly at your antics. Pursing your lips, you look between the two men, brows furrowing as you say, “I didn’t know you two were friends.”

“We met recently,” Yeonjun can’t help but notice the way the man is quick to lie, the words easing out of his mouth so naturally that Yeonjun himself could have believed it. “When I fixed your laptop, he reached out to me.”

“Really?” It should be a bit worrisome how quick you are to believe his words, even when the memory of Yeonjun condemning you for being so trusting of strangers floats in the back of your mind, “I had no idea.”

“My laptop was acting weird, that’s all,” Yeonjun says, hating how he’s adding to the lie, how easily he’s deceiving you— if only you knew what they had spoken about, how those simple sentences that they exchanged had Yeonjun genuinely considering his offer; he shuddered at the realization.

What a creep, Yeonjun thought to himself, brushing off any curiosity that festered within him, refusing to believe that he would succumb to such lengths. But even as you walked next to him, Beomgyu parting ways as he sent Yeonjun a last look, he couldn’t deny the impact that the librarian’s words had on him.

“I don’t know, I’m probably being dumb. Probably overthinking things, as he said.” Your words are quick to bring Yeonjun back to where he was, his body returning to the long stretch of pavement as his mind finally allowed him to process your words. You couldn’t hold back the yelp of surprise that escaped you as Yeonjun snapped his head to look at you for the first time in a while, brows furrowed and a frown on his face as he truly took in your words.

“He said that?” Is all he can say, accusatory and bitter as he seethes those words. You shrink under his gaze, and he knows by the way that you grow quiet at his question that you weren’t truly expecting him to catch on so quickly. You’re embarrassed, words coming out in stutters as you uselessly try to defend yourself— and him, much to Yeonjun’s annoyance.

“Well, he’s not entirely wrong,” you begin, arms wrapped tightly around yourself as you avoid your friend’s gaze, “I probably was overthinking.”

Oh, thank god Yeonjun had no idea of the things that had happened after your first date— you don’t think he would believe a single word you said if he found out how distant Jaemin had been after you had allowed him in your home, the very first bud of doubt blooming from then on; you felt stupid, but could never bring yourself to admit this to anyone— the embarrassment was too grand.

Sometimes, Yeonjun felt more like a caretaker than a friend, you thought to yourself, your poor attempts to change the conversation not going over Yeonjun’s head as you try to lighten up the mood; you don’t realize this, but asking him about his relationship with Beomgyu made nothing better.

“You two seem close,” you conclude, biting back a smile at the thought of seeing the two men next to each other; you were oddly comforted by the sight. “Are you gonna meet up with him?”

“What?” Yeonjun wished he could’ve held his tongue better, because he can tell that you were quick to see the alarm on his face. “Why do you say that?”

“I dunno, I heard him say something like that earlier,” you’re sheepish again, kicking at a rock on the sidewalk as you try to avoid your friend’s eyes, “sorry for overhearing your conversation. That’s all I heard though, I swear.”

And with that last comment that leaves your mouth, Yeonjun sighs, body slacking with relief as he shakes his head, unable to hide his fondness for your tactics. Throwing an arm around your shoulder, he pulls you into his frame, ignoring your yelp of surprise and complaints as he laughs at you softly.

“I guess I am, so what?” Yeonjun says, trying to not think much of what this meeting will entail as he leads you toward your apartment, “Jealous?”

“What? Of who?” You’re quick to get defensive, and Yeonjun can’t help but wonder if your affinity for Beomgyu had turned into something stronger— his stomach churned at the thought. But if he was going to get your attention back on him, he had to deal with things one at a time.

“Beomgyu, duh,” Yeonjun jokes, cracking a smile at the way you’re shaking your head in denial, arms reaching deeply into your pockets as you pull out your keys, “You’re scared he’s going to steal me from you.”

“Yeah right!” You say, unable to hide the grin that freely stretches across your face. You’re pushing him away, lingering at your front door as you lean against it, smiling coyly as you add, “He can keep you, for all I care.”

“Have fun on your date,” you chirp, unlocking your door and disappearing before Yeonjun can refute your claims. With the final click of your lock, Yeonjun can’t help but be frozen to the spot, staring at the wood in front of him as if it would change anything he had done— anything he had agreed to.

Technically, no one was forcing him to go, his mind refuted, trying its best to persuade him not to go. But a small meeting couldn’t hurt.

With that final decision, Yeonjun turned on his heels, face sobered from any happiness as he thought back to the quiet librarian who seemed to know more than he let on— after all, anything was worth investigating if it pertained to you.

Yeonjun let his muscle memory take over, and he quickly found himself on the path to the library again.

-♡♡♡-

The library was, like always, mostly empty.

It was nothing new to see only a handful of patrons wander around inside, sitting far from each other as they sat nose-deep in a book. Yet, it only seemed to put Yeonjun more on edge; without you here, he felt oddly vulnerable— even more so when he spotted Beomgyu in a deserted area.

“You’re quite early,” Beomgyu muses, not bothering to turn around as he reshelves a book. Yeonjun says nothing, waiting patiently for Beomgyu to say anything that involved the conversation they shared earlier. But he remains silent, turning instead to his cart that contained books that he needed to put back; Yeonjun could feel his jaw tick in annoyance.

“Well? Are you going to explain to me why you asked me to come here?”

For a brief second, Beomgyu’s eyes flit to the man, meeting his narrowed eyes as Yeonjun fights back the shiver that threatens to wrack through him. Yet Beomgyu can only exhale at that, clearly amused at the man’s attempts to seem stern.

“It seems as though we have a common interest in mind,” Beomgyu mutters, his voice smooth and entrancing as he manages to hook Yeonjun with those simple words. He pauses, reaching for another book as he scans the aisle leisurely; slowly, he places the book into its empty slot, pausing as his index finger runs along the spine absentmindedly.

“___.”

Yeonjun sighed— he knew it. From the very first time he walked into this cursed building, he had already gained the suspicion that you had caught Beomgyu’s attention— his confession did nothing to calm his qualms.

“You can’t be serious,” Yeonjun says, allowing himself to complain as he rolls his eyes at Beomgyu’s words, “What does that have to do with you calling me here? Are you trying to threaten me to back off or something? ‘Cause if you are, then that’s just pathetic—”

“Not at all,” Beomgyu says, a smile hinting at his lips as he wheels the cart to the next aisle, Yeonjun following uselessly in his tracks. “If anything, I think it’s best if we work together.”

Work together? Yeonjun couldn’t help the way his brain froze at that, unable to fathom the offer Beomgyu was trying to pitch; how could they possibly…

“Jaemin,” Beomgyu continues, eyes focused on the labels on the books as he searches for the empty slot for his next book. He finds it immediately, sliding the book in smoothly as he continues. “He’s not going anywhere at this rate.”

“Come on Yeonjun, how long have you been in love with her?” Yeonjun’s name is icy and threatening when it comes from Beomgyu’s lips, and the sudden accusation leaves him speechless. “Months? Years? I can see it all over your face.”

“You won’t get anywhere if you continue to be such a pushover. She’ll never think anything more of you.” It’s almost like magic, the way Beomgyu is quick and efficient as he finds the empty slots of each book. The cart is quickly emptying, and it isn’t long before he only has a handful of books to put back.

“But we, we can fix that,” he says, not bothering to look at Yeonjun as he absentmindedly flips through the book in his hands, reading the spine before he quickly finds its place. “We could work together, make sure she only thinks of us.”

Yeonjun says nothing. How could he? The offer presented before him is something he has never even allowed himself to explore. His heart is racing, fingertips numb as he buries his hands deep in his jacket pockets. Beomgyu doesn’t bother to say anything more, moving flawlessly along the aisles as he puts each book away effortlessly— he doesn't bother looking back once; Yeonjun will follow.

The cart is empty now, the last book placed in his hands as he leisurely reads through the summary as if he were actually interested in the contents. Yeonjun chews at his lip— to have you look at him, think of him. Maybe even put him first, for once; his mind swirled with the possibilities.

Plus, he could always deal with the extra variables later.

“What did you have in mind?”

The words escape him before he can think twice, and he watches as Beomgyu quickly finds the last empty slot, an index finger reaching out to push the book back snugly on the shelf.

Beomgyu smiles.

And it all falls into place.

Oh baby baby, how was I supposed to know,

that something wasn’t right here?

-♡♡♡-

Yeonjun’s palms run over his jeans for the umpteenth time this hour.

He’s stiff, nervousness rendering him in this awkward posture as he looks around the small restaurant nervously— he can’t believe he’s going through with this.

Honestly, he had no reason to believe Beomgyu’s words; but the eagerness to find a reason to make you leave Jaemin allowed him to take a seat in the quiet, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, unsure of himself as he waited for the target to arrive. He had chosen his seat carefully, sliding into the corner booth that allowed him to get a full view of the dining area. And any moment now, the said man would walk in with someone that wasn’t you.

“___’s sick, hmm?” Beomgyu had asked, briefly looking up from the random book Yeonjun had checked out— you had asked him if he could return your book and check out a new one and, like always, Yeonjun was quick to accept.

“Yeah, why?” Yeonjun was already on edge, and the slow shake of Beomgyu’s head in disappointment only served to spike his nerves more.

“She shouldn’t be going out on dates if she’s sick; especially in such horrible weather…”

“What are you talking about?” Yeonjun knew exactly what the man was implying— you had been bedridden for days. But he couldn’t help but seethe the question through gritted teeth in hopes that his suspicions wouldn’t be confirmed.

“Oh no, just… overheard some things,” Beomgyu says, sliding the book back across the smooth wooden counter as he leans forward, a small smile on his face. “Jaemin seemed very excited to go on this date; a nice restaurant, I heard.”

“You don’t think…” Yeonjun trailed off, eyes glued to the hardcover to avoid the confrontation of it all; he knew what Beomgyu was implying— what he was being asked to do.

“Don’t know,” Beomgyu shrugs, nonchalant as he fixed his bangs casually, “but there’s truly only one way to find out.”

And that’s how Yeonjun found himself in the corner booth, surveilling the room with dread.

He left your place for this— the promise of a warm soup leaving you dazed and happy as you went back to sleeping through your fever— but Yeonjun couldn’t help but hope that it was all a hoax that Beomgyu made to mess with him.

Yes, he wanted Jaemin out of the picture— Beomgyu as well— but the last thing he wanted was to hurt you in the process too.

So, despite it all, he was hoping that Jaemin would be able to prove his innocence; or even better, not show up at all. He couldn’t help but curse at Beomgyu under his breath as he waited for his food— honestly, how did he manage to pick up on such a conversation, down to the last details? It was honestly unnerving, and the longer Yeonjun thought about it, the more he could feel the dread pool in his stomach.

The bell rang, signaling a new customer.

Yeonjun’s head snapped up at the sound, and to his dread, all of Beomgyu’s suspicions had been confirmed.

In walked Jaemin, hand in hand with someone that wasn’t you.

Yeonjun could feel his blood grow cold as he watched the scene before him, watching the way the girl attached to his arm blushed shyly at his compliments and leaned into his touch— Karina, of Yeonjun remembered correctly. It was a shameless display, and it only served to worsen Yeonjun’s mood as he was left to watch it all from afar— what should he do?

As if to answer his question, his phone buzzed.

“Hello?”

“So? I was right, wasn’t I?”

Yeonjun said nothing— but that was more than enough for Beomgyu.

“He doesn’t deserve her,” Beomgyu sighs out, the words like a quiet revelation that implants itself into Yeonjun’s brain. He grits his teeth, unable to take his eyes off the way Jaemin pulls the girl close to him, clearly unashamed to show such bold displays of affection.

“Poor ___, she’s all weak and sick, and this is how he repays her,” Beomgyu knows that he doesn’t need to continue, but he does so anyways as he plants the image into Yeonjun’s head; you were always so naive, so trusting, and to think of the ways that it’s gotten you hurt only twists Yeonjun’s heart more. “By going with another girl behind her back and treating her like an idiot.”

“He’s using her.”

“She’s not gonna handle this well,” is all Yeonjun can muster to say, watching the way a waitress finally comes around to his booth with his takeout orders. He thanks her, forcing himself to pretend that he wasn’t seconds away from punching Jaemin as he takes the bags into his hands.

“Of course she’s not. She really liked him,” Beomgyu’s words do nothing to calm Yeonjun, his nails digging into his palm as he watches the romantic scene before him.

“But she’ll have us.”

Those words repeated themselves in Yeonjun’s head; they swirled around his mind endlessly, as he took a picture of the scene, as he walked past the couple with gritted teeth, and as he made his way back to your apartment to figure out how to tell you the news.

She’ll have me. Yeonjun thought to himself as he drove back to you, knowing that he was about to shatter the rose-tinted image you had of the cute boy in your class. He would care for you, reassure you when you would begin to doubt yourself, and he would pick you back up and put you together, piece by piece. He would show you that his care was the only thing you really needed; that you should only have eyes for him.

After all, no one cares for you like he does.

-♡♡♡-

No one has ever stuck to you like Yeonjun.

It’s a thought that crosses your mind as you feel your head swirl with emotions, your stomach dipping violently as you clutch onto his bicep roughly— from fever-induced nausea or the picture on his phone, you weren’t exactly sure.

You’re sweaty and uncomfortable as you try to process your friend’s words; what he saw, what he heard, all while you were at home waiting to get better like a naive child.

You can’t believe you ever doubted Yeonjun— and you allowed yourself to tell him this, flushed and embarrassed as you lean into his chest, the boxes of takeout empty and discarded on the coffee table as you allow yourself to let out all your emotions; only because Yeonjun’s steady comfort gives you the confidence to do so.

“I‘ve always doubted if he really liked me,” you whispered, vision hazy and body tingly as you can feel your fever returning— you had tried to shoo Yeonjun away from getting too close, but his persistence only ended in you giving up any efforts to resist his coddling. “Sometimes I felt he was just using me for my body.”

Yeonjun’s hands stilled for a second. Briefly, he glanced down at you, eyes darkening as he took in the way your eyes were closed, already feeling yourself dozing away once more as the sleep allowed you to lower your barriers.

“Why do you say that?” It’s a cheap tactic, asking you these questions while your guard is down, but Yeonjun can’t help but want you to elaborate, hanging onto your every word as he listens to the way this man has hurt you— it makes his blood boil.

“I dunno, just felt like it,” you sighed, unable to stop the way you were cozying up against your friend, “every date would end the same… he would take me home, we would… then he’d just leave as quickly as he could.”

“He would ghost me sometimes— he was kinda inconsiderate, too…” you mumbled, the soothing feeling of Yeonjun’s arms around you allowing the words to spill from you without a second thought. “Cancelling, making me feel bad for being too clingy…”

“I was so stupid for trusting him.” Your breathing has evened out, your warm body leaning against Yeonjun as you fall asleep, your last comment pulling a frown into Yeonjun’s features. Yet, the more he thought back to all that you confessed to him, the more he felt a quiet rage build inside him. Slowly, he laid you back on the couch, pulling the blanket that had fallen off you back onto your frame as he stood back, watching the utter peace manifest itself onto your face. Glancing back at the messy coffee table, he reached for his phone, clearing his throat before he pressed it against his ear.

“You heard that?”

“Yeah. What a prick…” Beomgyu’s irritation practically bled through the speakers as he grumbled those words. His mind raced to grasp new ideas, contemplating what to do with the boy as a heavy pause filled the line. Yeonjun took this moment to clean around your house, tidying up any mess he found and leaving the leftover soup for you for when you woke back up—he had placed a damp cloth on your forehead, and was happy to see your fever was slowly going down.

“Yeonjun,” Beomgyu finally spoke, the sudden utterance of the man’s name causing him to flinch in surprise, “we need to get Jaemin out of the picture.”

Get him out of the picture— the same phrase had been on Yeonjun’s mind since the first time they had met.

“How are we supposed to do that?” Yeonjun asked, throwing on his coat as he looked back at you; peaceful, still fast asleep.

“All she needs is a little push in the right direction,” the words did nothing to reassure Yeonjun, a frown pulling at his features as he waited for the man on the other side of the line to elaborate, “just leave it to me.”

He promptly hung up afterward.

Yeonjun’s ride back home was tense— his mind was filled with worry, unsure of what the other man might pull. But the thought of him worrying so much over Beomgyu's words was ridiculous— honestly, what was the worst he could do? He didn’t seem to pose much of a threat. But there was something about him that still managed to unnerve Yeonjun; it seemed as though he were always two steps ahead. And for someone who didn’t know you for half as long as Yeonjun did, he sure was attuned to you perfectly.

It unsettled Yeonjun— and maybe it was because Beomgyu might have a chance of taking you away from him.

You have to work together, his mind told him, thinking back to the way Beomgyu seemed to confide in him, you’ll choose him in the end, anyway.

After all, no one cares for you like he does— and no one will ever come close.

-♡♡♡-

You’re a little shaky as you walk to class— whether it’s from anger or anxiety, you’re not entirely sure.

Having yet to confront Jaemin about what he did, you were left to pore over the little details of your fleeting relationship; of the things he did, said, and made you feel. And with each passing memory, with each dismissive word about your feelings, you could only be left with a buildup of shame in your stomach— had you really let him treat you like this all along?

There was a reason as to why you had let all those grievances go— they were all small actions that, if you truly hadn’t paid too much attention, could have been justified quickly; and you were so in love with the boy that you had done just that.

It’s embarrassing, but you’ve always been like this; quick to fall in love, and hard. Your track record of exes consisted of nothing but wasted potential, and Jaemin would just be another name on the list. So, as you walk into your small class, you prepare yourself for the worst— denial, embarrassment, or more dismissive comments at your expense. Or maybe, if you decided to confront him, you would be forced to deal with his pathetic pleading; the very thought seemed to drain you.

“___,” your thoughts were interrupted by the call of your name, halting in your steps as you turn towards the sound; you let out a weak smile as you watch Beomgyu approach you.

“How are you feeling? Yeonjun told me you were sick all weekend,” he says, and you try to not indulge yourself in his coddling as you watch the way he tilts his head curiously, eyes filled with genuine worry.

The last thing you need is to interest yourself in someone new, your mind tells you, forcing down any slight attraction you may have found towards the man before you; you were on guard, and Beomgyu was quick to notice with the way you seemed much more distant towards him.

“Um, better…” you say simply, tugging at the straps of your bookbag stupidly. You don’t leave much room for conversation, because you’re already walking inside your class before Beomgyu could respond. Yet, to your surprise, Beomgyu follows along steadily, and you’re afraid to look up at him as he lingers near your seat.

“Do you… mind if I sit next to you today?” You’re surprised by his sudden request, unable to hide it from your face as you look at him. You take a second, hesitating to answer before you finally give in.

“Sure… if you want,” you’re oddly meek as you finally answer, sitting in your seat as you refuse to look up from your laptop— or more specifically, at Beomgyu.

You’re shy, Beomgyu realizes, the conclusion bringing about a wave of satisfaction within him as he watches you try to peek at him, only to catch him staring; yet you’re the only one who seems embarrassed as you look away.

Beomgyu watches as you slowly warm up to his presence— your body relaxes from its stiff posture, and you seem to be itching to make conversation as you glance at him again; this time, without any fear of being caught.

Yet within seconds, you return to your alarmed posture— and it doesn’t take much for Beomgyu to realize why.

In walks Jaemin, walking sluggishly to his seat as he stares down at his phone, unaware of the way Beomgyu throws an arm behind your seat instinctively, ignoring the surprised look you send him. Briefly, the boy glances up from his phone, and his expression drops as he takes in the way Beomgyu has made himself comfortable in his usual seat next to you.

“Could you move please,” it’s not a question as the words drip from Jaemin’s mouth, laced with such hostility that you’re quick to look away from his narrowed eyes. Beomgyu isn’t phased— at least not with the way the boy is trying to be intimidating, using the height difference to his advantage as he towers over Beomgyu.

“Why should I?” Is all Beomgyu says, tilting his head casually as he watches the way Jaemin’s jaw clenches with annoyance— his eyes flit to you before they’re back on Beomgyu, and he’s quick to decipher what the boy is trying to imply as he gives him a soft smile.

“Ah, I see,” Beomgyu says, allowing himself to lean closer to you— you seem to be on edge from his actions. “Well, she doesn’t mind me being here. Why don’t you find somewhere else to sit for today?”

“Because that’s my girlfriend,” Jaemin grits out. By now, the small exchange has caught the attention of the other students, and you’re buzzing with embarrassment as they all send curious glances at the three of you. “I’d really appreciate it if you took your hands off her.”

“What about Karina, hmm? Are you done with her?” Beomgyu says, the sudden drop of the girl’s name leaving the two of you to gape at him in surprise.

“What, you thought no one would find out? You didn’t even try to hide it,” He says, taking in the way Jaemin’s ears have turned red; he’s no longer looking at Beomgyu, but at you instead— his eyes are pleading for you to hear his explanation, apologetic crocodile tears filling his eyes as you refuse to look at him— the scene is almost laughable.

“The lectures starting,” Beomgyu adds, enjoying the way Jaemin glances to the front of the room to confirm this— his eyes meet with the professor’s who only gives him an unamused look as he begins to talk.

You hear a few soft laughs as Jaemin sulks to his seat— and you’re afraid the embarrassment might eat you alive as you melt into your chair, the interaction leaving you hot and ashamed as you zone out, replaying their words back in your head.

“How did you know about Karina?” You whisper to him, the sudden memory of the confrontation leaving you uneasy— there’s only one other person who knows about this.

“What do you think?” His words do nothing but confirm your suspicion; Yeonjun told him. That only leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, a frown overtaking your face at the thought of Yeonjun telling others about what happened to you; granted, it helped you keep Jaemin away for a bit, but it still left you upset to think about.

“Yeonjun told you,” you say bitterly, crossing your arms in annoyance. Beomgyu simply lets out a soft chuckle, and you send him a look of confusion as you watch him sit up, his arm disappearing from behind you.

“All Yeonjun did was confirm my suspicions, Beomgyu admits, watching as you throw him a curious look, sitting up in your chair as you wait for him to elaborate. “I overheard him on the phone, that’s all; I knew it wasn’t you because Yeonjun had told me you were sick.”

And because he watched over you, his mind adds, unable to let him forget his actions of doting on you, watching from afar as he watched your state closely; by the first couple of hours, he was ready to send Yeonjun to check on you, but the man was clingy enough that he found out on his own later on.

“Oh,” you say softly, processing the information as you pause, staring down at your lap before you’re finally glancing back at Beomgyu, sending him a sheepish smile as you add a small, “Thanks.”

“Any time,” Beomgyu says, unable to control the smile on his face as he watches you become more comfortable with him— and slowly, give your trust to him more.

-♡♡♡-

“You know, I’m glad I actually listened to you this time.”

Two men sit in the small booth of a restaurant across from a cafe, watching intently through the window as you sit across Jaemin, a steeled expression on your face— you’re sliding your phone across the table to him, allowing him to take a look at the contents on the screen as you cross your arms firmly.

“This time? Why do you say that?” Beomgyu asks, an amused smile on his face as he leans his face on his hand, watching the way Jaemin can only stare up at you with guilt, mouth agape as he attempts to defend himself.

“Because you creep me out,” Yeonjun is shameless as he admits this, uncaring of the way the man across from him only lets out a laugh at his words. It was nothing but the truth; there was something about Beomgyu that impeded Yeonjun from fully confiding in him— and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to find out what it was.

“Creep you out?” Beomgyu echoes, raising a brow as he looks away from where you sit— you’re arguing now, your voices hushed as you lean into each other, trying your best to not cause a scene in a public place.

Yeonjun doesn’t elaborate— he doesn’t want to, especially now that he’s become more invested in the way you’re trying your best to be firm; he can already see the way Jaemin is begging for a second chance, reaching out for your hands and undoubtedly promising that he’ll change; the decisive shake of your head is all Yeonjun needs to know that you’re not going back to him.

“Hmm, we should probably get going,” Beomgyu says, standing up before Yeonjun can inquire why. He hesitates, glancing back at where you sit before he’s rushing to follow behind Beomgyu, who has already paid the bill, and is waiting at the exit for Yeonjun.

“We could’ve just split it,” Yeonjun mumbles bitterly, pulling out his wallet to try to pay the man back. But Beomgyu only shakes his head, refusing the older’s money as they make their way out of the restaurant. The air is chilly and the sun is beginning to set, the two men pulling their coats tighter on their figures as a cold breeze passes by.

“No need, I don’t mind,” Beomgyu says, taking a path to a nearby park; one you went to every day, Yeonjun realizes, “think of it as a thank you, for opening ___’s eyes.”

“How do you know so much about her?”

The question is quick to slice through the pleasant mood Beomgyu had built up, their steps slowing on the path as they come to a stop. The air is tense, the rustling leaves and Yeonjun’s quickening breaths the only sound heard as Beomgyu ponders his question.

“You haven’t known her for that long,” Yeonjun says, eyes narrowing at the way Beomgyu does nothing to refute his accusations— he’s calm, eerily so as he listens to the older’s words, an amused smile threatening to show.

“No, I haven’t,” Beomgyu admits, looking away from Yeonjun’s searing gaze and at a much more interesting target instead. Yeonjun follows his line of sight, his stomach dropping at the way you’re already walking their way, having yet to notice them as you’re lost in your own world; your steps are hasty, frustration laced in your body language as you frown, hands shoved deep in your jacket pockets as you murmur incoherently to yourself.

“But you’d be surprised by how much she tells me.”

There it is again. That nagging insecurity that makes alarms blare in Yeonjun’s head, sending a hot strike of anger through him as the very thought of you confiding in Beomgyu instead of him comes into his mind. Just how much does this stranger know about you already?

He’s eager to get your attention as he leaves Beomgyu’s side, calling out your name and waving to you happily the moment you make eye contact with him. He can see the surprise on your features, and you’re confused as to how you’ve managed to run into both of them again at such a low point in your life.

“Hi jun,” you say softly, hoping that he can’t see your teary eyes as you approach him. The sun has set and all that’s left are the streetlamps above you, and even then, you’re hoping foolishly that he isn't as attentive to you as he always is— your hopes are crushed immediately.

“___, what’s wrong?” His words are quiet, the question meant to be heard by only the two of you as he cradles your face, staring into your eyes so intently you can’t help but fluster. You’re stuttering out excuses, not wanting to break the news to your friend in front of someone else. Out of the corner of your eye, you watch Beomgyu approach the two of you, watching the scene quietly before he finally speaks.

“Did you two break up?” There’s no context to his words, but none is needed as he sends you a knowing look; you nod solemnly in response.

“Huh? You and Jaemin?” Yeonjun is quick to bring your attention back to him as your eyes begin to shine under the streetlamps, much too embarrassed to be seen like this as you nod again; you’re prying his hands from your face in an attempt to hide the sudden influx of emotions.

“I feel so stupid,” is all you can say, back turned to them as you try to recompose yourself, “I can’t believe I let him treat me like that for so long.”

“Hey, don’t say that,” Yeonjun reassures you, getting a hold of your arm as he pulls you close to him, a soft smile on his face as he reaches to wipe the tear that slips from your eye— you really wish you weren’t crying over such a worthless relationship, but you were nonetheless; at least you had Yeonjun by your side.

“Do you mind if we walk you home? It’s dark out,” Beomgyu is quick to offer, his words sincere as he looks at you intently. You know there’s no room to argue, and you can see it on their faces that they refuse to let you walk alone— Yeonjun always made an effort to walk with you, always saying that he “didn’t like your apartment— it was too secluded”. Yet you still hesitate for a second, unsure if you want them to see you in such a state any longer.

“I don’t want to bother,” you say quietly, looking away from the intense gaze of your friend— you can already see him getting ready to argue.

“You won’t, I promise,” Beomgyu’s soft reassurance is all you need to agree, sending them an unsure nod as you allow them to walk on either side of you; they allow you to lead them, and you’re glad that they let you walk a few steps ahead, the space giving you a break from their constant worrying.

Behind you, Yeonjun can’t help but throw Beomgyu a cautious glance— the last thing he would want Beomgyu to find out is where you live. It’s irrational, but it’s a fear nonetheless as he keeps a close eye on Beomgyu, observing quietly as the man makes conversation with you.

Wordlessly, Yeonjun appears at your side; he links his hands with yours, staring straight ahead even when you only spare him a confused glance. Yet he can’t help the way a small smile breaks onto his face as you lean into his touch, fingers lacing tightly with his on instinct as you continue your conversation with Beomgyu.

Honestly, it was laughable if Beomgyu thought he would take you so easily— for as long as Yeonjun had a heart that beat for you, he would make sure to never leave your side. And to think that this man thought he might be on the same level as Yeonjun; it almost felt like an insult.

Beomgyu didn’t deserve you.

What you deserved was someone who would be able to protect you, someone that knew you better than you knew yourself; someone who’s been through the good and bad, who wouldn’t leave your side so easily— someone like Yeonjun.

“It’s getting late,” Yeonjun mutters, the two of you glancing at him as the suddenness of his words catches you off guard, “Beomgyu, you should probably go home. I can walk ___ home, we live near each other.”

Beomgyu has nothing to say, but he’s sure that the look he sends Yeonjun is enough to communicate his thoughts— You prick.

There was not much he could say to refute that, especially when you join in to reassure him that you’ll be alright. But he tries anyway, insisting that he wouldn’t mind walking home late if it means seeing you get home safe— your worried argument is the only thing that allows him to give in.

“It’s supposed to rain in a bit, Gyu,” you say, the nickname slipping past your lips so naturally he almost doesn’t notice— but when he does, he’s ready to do whatever you ask of him in an instant.

“Gyu?” He repeats teasingly, watching the way you fluster in realization, stuttering apologies and trying to justify yourself.

“Sorry, I do that with all my friends,” You say, unaware of the way Yeonjun sends Beomgyu a glare behind you, “sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I didn’t mean to— “

“It’s alright, I don’t mind,” he says, interrupting you before you can continue. With a tilt of his head, he leans towards you, enjoying the way you look at him in anticipation as he purrs, “I think it’s cute.”

You’re quick to look away from him, flustered and embarrassed as you let out a small “oh” in response. Clearing your throat, you try to recompose yourself as you send him a smile, trying to push past the way he’s looking at you so fondly.

“Well, get home safe,” you say, smiling as you softly add, “Gyu.”

He’s unable to put up a fight at your request— especially not with the way your cute nickname leaves your lips. He chuckles, bidding you goodbye before he looks up at Yeonjun— his expression sobers immediately.

“Bye, Yeonjun,” he says, careful to not sound too cold in front of you. The man only narrows his eyes at him, clearly eager to see him go as he bids him goodbye as well.

“Goodbye,” he says, the small smile irritating Beomgyu as he says, “get home safe.”

With one last wave goodbye, you watch him turn and head the opposite way— you’re glad that you insisted on letting him go home. But now it was just you and Yeonjun, and you couldn’t help but be on edge, afraid that he might try to get you to talk about what happened with you and Jaemin.

“We should get going,” is all your friend says, lacing his fingers with yours and pulling you along without a second thought. You let out a soft hum of surprise, allowing him to take you to your apartment as you wait tensely for his upcoming scolding— but it never comes.

Instead, he keeps you close to his side, bringing you closer to him as the wind picks up and a shiver wracks through you. The sky above you is clouding and gray, the looming weather giving you the motive to walk faster. It isn’t until you’re two blocks away from your apartment that the sudden rumble of thunder rolls throughout the city, the droplets of rain falling onto the two of you harshly.

“Shit,” you gasp, the rain quickly becoming more severe as you glance at Yeonjun. Linking his arm with yours, he says nothing, eyes squinting ahead as the two of you make a run for it instead.

You’re quick to pull your hood over your head, but you’re sure it won’t do much as you can already feel the rain soak through your clothes. Your legs are sore and you’re panting by the time you spot your house in the distance, the adrenaline that soars through your heart only increasing at the loud boom that strikes the city. Unable to contain your yelp of surprise, Yeonjun glances back at you, his laughter contagious as you finally rush to the steps of your front door.

“Come on,” you grunt, frustrated at the way you can’t seem to unlock your door. Yeonjun hovers over you, covering you with his jacket as he patiently waits. Your face lights up as you finally hear the click of the door, and you’re quick to push the door open as the two of you stumble inside roughly— you’re winded and soaked, and can only manage to let out a weak laugh as you make eye contact with your friend.

“I didn’t think it was gonna storm,” you say, peeking back out your window to see the raging winds and the rain that pours down, “I hope Beomgyu made it home safe.”

“I’m sure he did,” Yeonjun quickly pipes up, grabbing your hand and pulling you to your room, “but you should probably change before you catch a cold.”

“So should you,” you refute, already going through your clothes to find something to wear. Turning around, you hand Yeonjun some of his old clothes he’s left in the past to change into, heading out of your room as you say, “gonna go shower, you can go after me.”

Yeonjun’s small “m’kay,” is all you hear before you disappear into the bathroom, shutting the door behind you as you leave him alone in your room.

It’s been a while since he’s last been in here— memories of taking care of you when you were sick pop up in his mind, and he smiles fondly at the memories as he sits on your bed; the same spot he sat in as you begged him not to go, tugging at his sleeves weakly until his promise of returning with food allowed you to let go.

Then he returned with the news that broke your heart.

He then coddled you endlessly, enjoying how dependent you had become as you clung to him, making him promise you to stay by your side forever— a promise he gladly made.

Your bed is cute; filled with stuffed animals and made neatly, Yeonjun resists the urge to lay down, but if not for his soaked figure, he would’ve allowed himself to indulge in the scent that coated your sheets— the soft coconut and the subtle eucalyptus that came from the stress relief perfume you often used; it had been a staple in your life for years, and Yeonjun wanted it to stay that way. His gaze drifted around the space, from your unorganized closet to the pictures that decorate your walls, and he was elated to see himself in most of them. They surrounded your workspace, his eyes stopping at each one until he found a new interesting target.

Your laptop remained open, left to charge as the black screen was left to face him.

He always wondered why you left it open, often joking that “you should put something on the camera; you never know who’s watching.” You would be quick to brush him off, rolling your eyes as you would refute “who would want to watch me?”

The very thought sent shivers down his spine— the camera left the perfect view of your entire space; giving perfect access to watch you, alone and at peace.

He stands up to shut it.

“Jun, you got my bed wet,” your whiny voice is what snaps him out of his daze, and he’s glad for the diversion as he looks back at you, embarrassed to have caught himself thinking such things. You stand at the doorway, staring at him with your arms crossed and a cute pout that he wishes he could kiss away.

“Is that mine?” Is all he responds with, and it’s your turn to send him a sheepish glance as you pathetically try to cover the hoodie you wear, as if doing so would make him think otherwise.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice,” you sulk, hands dropping to your sides as you go to your closet to hand him a clean towel. Moving away from your desk, Yeonjun grimaces at the feeling of his wet clothes rubbing against his skin, glad to take the towel from your hands as makes his way to your bathroom.

“It’s my favorite hoodie,” he argues, but he can’t bring himself to be angry with the way you shrug carelessly at that, sending him a sly smile as you follow behind.

“You said it looked better on me.”

And it’s not something he can argue with— especially not with the way the item hangs over your figure, already big enough on him as he enjoys the way it drapes over your thighs, covering the poor excuse of shorts that you usually slept with at night.

“Go shower, you’re sleeping over tonight,” you say, and as if to prove your point, a loud strike of thunder booms over you, the sound sudden as you flinch in response, “there’s no way you’re walking back in this weather.”

“If you insist,” he coos with a cheeky smile, letting out an obnoxious laugh as you shove him inside; you’re grumbling incoherently to yourself as you leave, but Yeonjun knows you don’t mean any of it as he finally strips himself of the clothes that stick stubbornly to his skin.

-♡♡♡-

Yeonjun swears he might just be in heaven— the room is dark and the rain is soothing as he lays in bed, unable to take his gaze away from your peaceful frame. You’re sleeping soundly, allowing Yeonjun to sleep in the same bed as you after you had drifted off while you were watching a movie together; the exhaustion from today had seemed to hit you hard.

Yet he itches to get closer— he wants to hold you, and his thoughts seem to take over as he scoots closer to you, unable to help himself as he gingerly wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you into his chest as he nuzzles into your hair— he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to get over your alluring scent.

But when you shift from your sleep, turning around to face him, he thinks his heart might just stop— that is, until your eyes meet his, dazed and sleepy as you scoot closer to him happily. You’re quick to seek his warmth as you throw your leg around his waist, practically wrapping yourself around him as you bury yourself into his neck, sighing happily as you do so.

“Y’smell so good, jun,” you softly slur out, barely able to keep your eyes open as Yeonjun’s hand reaches the hem of your hoodie, his touch innocent as he breaches past it, rubbing your back soothingly. You hum in appreciation at his touch, ignoring his teasing chuckle as you already feel yourself drifting back to sleep.

“Cause it’s your stuff I’m using,” he argues; he’s sure you’re saying something along the lines of “doesn’t matter,” but it doesn’t really come out right as you’re quick to fall back asleep, comfortable in his arms as your breathing evens out.

He doesn’t want to let go— he doesn’t want to fall asleep, either, fighting back the urge as he enjoys this moment, thoroughly indulging in the way your body is pressed firmly against his; it just feels right.

Choi Yeonjun is screwed. Because as he lays down with you, the serene and calm moment doing nothing to slow down the flustered beating of his heart, he knows that he’ll never be able to move on from you— which only gives him a new swell of determination to make you his.

-♡♡♡-

Yeonjun hasn’t heard from you today.

Which honestly shouldn’t be that alarming. Except, he didn’t hear from you yesterday either— or the day before that. The last time he saw you was when he stayed over during the storm, and it’s been too long for him to not worry. He’s unsure of what to do, the constant calling and text messages doing nothing for him as it's all left unanswered. He’s even called your parents, asking if you were there— he couldn’t bring himself to tell them why he was calling, not wanting to worry them unnecessarily.

But now he’s left pacing in the library, biting endlessly at his lip as Beomgyu’s eyes bore into him.

“What do you mean she hasn’t talked to you in three days?” The librarian seethes out, just as tense as the pacing man before him as he sits up from his seat. The library was closed now, but he couldn’t help but let the older man in the moment your name slipped past his lips in such a panicked tone.

“I don’t know, she hasn’t been answering my texts!” Yeonjun can’t quell the feeling of despair that ensnares him, the feeling suffocating as his voice rises in volume, “Or my calls.”

“Call her again,” is all Beomgyu says, racking his brain as he blocks out Yeonjun’s protests saying it won’t work, “Just fucking try it!”

Even as Yeonjun begrudgingly does so, he can’t stop the secret pleasure he gets from seeing Beomgyu finally break his perfect facade— he just wishes it wasn’t due to this situation. The phone rings out, and Yeonjun can already feel the grip on his phone tighten as he listens to it ring out, his mind softly pleading for you to answer.

“Jun?”

It’s a chain reaction, for as soon as Yeonjun slumps down in relief, Beomgyu sighs, running an angered hand through his hair as he watches Yeonjun scold you ruthlessly.

“What happened? Where are you?” Yeonjun asks, the feeling of relief subsiding as he remembers how you just disappeared on him, “You haven’t answered any of my messages, you didn’t say anything for three days.”

Silence. Yeonjun waits desperately for you to explain yourself, wondering what you could possibly be doing right now that ended in you going MIA like this.

“Shit, jun, did my texts not send?” You say, and almost mockingly, Yeonjun can feel his phone buzzing with notifications, “I went to visit my aunt— you know, the one that lives in the countryside? Her internet was down, I’m coming home right now.”

Of course— Your aunt, Yeonjun remembers, recalling the way you would take him with you to visit her, the summers spent when you were younger bringing back fond memories— at least he knew you weren’t lying.

“Fuck, don’t do that again,” Yeonjun sighs, running his hand restlessly through his hair as he takes a seat in defeat, “You had me worried, I thought something happened to you.”

Your frantic apologies don’t quite reach his ears, because he can still feel an ember of anger fighting to stay alight inside of him, spewing irrational thoughts and a deep secret he thought would never resurface. But even as he listens to your sincere and apologetic voice, he finds himself meeting eyes with Beomgyu— and suddenly, he doesn’t seem to be as unnerving as he once thought; all he sees now is a manifestation of all the things he wasn’t brave enough to do on his own.

“Please, just tell me you’ll get here safe,” is all Yeonjun can reply, his voice tense as you reassure him, telling him that your aunt was currently driving you back.

“She was in town when I ran into her, I just couldn’t resist going with her to the countryside for a bit,” you add sheepishly, as though you actually had to explain yourself in the first place, “But don’t worry, I’ll be home in like, twenty minutes. I’m bringing back some of her pie, you should come over.”

Yeonjun’s noncommittal hum brings about another apology from you, and he knows that you’ve picked up on his tense mood as you hang up, trying to quell his mood with a sweet coo of his name— it almost works for a second, your melodic voice allowing him to calm down for a moment.

But when he hangs up, he can feel the ember light into a fire inside him.

“Went to her aunt’s house,” is all Yeonjun does to explain, not bothering to elaborate any further before he’s moving on to his next thought— he’s careful to bring it up, unsure if the man before him would use this idea against him, using it as a way to scare you away from Yeonjun; so instead, he merely implies it.

“I don’t want this to happen again,” Yeonjun says, face somber as he stares down at the table, and at his phone which is finally showing the messages you had attempted to deliver. It’s a picture of you and your aunt in her truck, a happy grin plastered on your face as you texted him “Auntie kidnapped me, staying over at her place for a couple of days!”

“What do you mean?” Beomgyu is hooked on his words, hoping that his eagerness is hidden well as he waits for the older man to speak—he can see the thoughts fighting in his brain, his moral compass being torn and broken as he looks back at Beomgyu, uncertain in his words as he meets his eyes.

“I want to keep a closer eye on her.”

Yeonjun is aware that Beomgyu knows his way around technology well; even more so when the younger man frowns, leaning back in his chair as he stares down at Yeonjun’s phone— he knows the moment he has caught on.

“A closer eye on her…” Beomgyu mutters, hands slowly sliding across the table to grab Yeonjun’s phone— the said man watches, eyes narrowed as he takes in the way Beomgyu becomes deep in thought.

“How are we supposed to do that? A tracker?” His eyes flit up, looking through the frames of glasses and piercing into Yeonjun’s own eyes— he stares back, unbreaking as the building falls silent.

“Cameras?”

There is no planning on how Yeonjun will react; Beomgyu has taken a leap of faith as the word escapes him, the final test that will show just how far Yeonjun is willing to go to keep you close.

Yeonjun thinks back to the computer on your desk; Then back to you, so unaware of your fate as you eagerly make your way back home, always so trusting of your friend as you expect him to come over soon.

He shouldn’t be considering it.

But he does, and once the memory of the anguish that flooded him at your disappearance comes back to him, he can only give Beomgyu a single nod before he’s able to return to the last part of him that kept him sane; the last part that wasn’t devoted wholly to you.

But it was too late.

“She asked for me to come over,” wordlessly, Beomgyu watches as Yeonjun reaches into his pocket, sliding something across the table, his hand pulling away to reveal the small device— a tracker.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind your company.”

Beomgyu brings the small device into his hands, examining it carefully as he withheld a smile; Yeonjun seemed to be just as deep into the rabbit hole as he was— he only played the part of the saint to make himself feel better.

“How did you get this?” Beomgyu asks, voice quiet as he looks back up at Yeonjun. The said man doesn’t respond, but the way he looks away in shame tells Beomgyu all he needs to know, “You’ve thought of this before, haven’t you.”

“It was a stupid purchase,” Yeonjun snaps, pulling out his car keys as he gestures for Beomgyu to follow him. Turning off all the lights, Beomgyu makes sure to lock up and set up the alarm before he follows Yeonjun out, laughing mockingly at his attempt to justify himself, “Don’t act as if you’re innocent either.”

“You suggested it,” The withering glare does nothing to affect Beomgyu as he gets in the car, the bag thrown in the back making him raise a brow curiously, “What, you want me to hack into her computer too?”

“You can do that—?” Yeonjun pauses his actions as he turns to the other in disbelief; yet he can’t hide the darkness in his eyes as he mulls over the offer, turning his body pressed back to the seat as he shakes his head. “You sick fucker.”

“Didn’t hear a no.” Beomgyu quips, and he knows his words have gotten into his brain by the way Yeonjun’s grip tightens on the steering wheel, the heavy gulp giving away his deepest thoughts; he was definitely considering it.

“She never closes that stupid laptop,” Yeonjun mutters to himself, and before he can second guess himself, he’s nodding his head, cursing at himself internally as he sees the way Beomgyu is eager to get to work from the corner of his eye. The rest of the drive is silent, and Yeonjun is slow to pull into your street as he hears Beomgyu mutter something about almost being done.

“There,” Beomgyu says, aware of how tense Yeonjun has become, his form rigid as he finally parks in front of your apartment— he’s quick to recognize your car, and is relieved to find your lights on inside.

Hesitantly, Yeonjun turns to his laptop screen, stomach twisting violently at what he might find. Nails digging into his skin, he can already hear his mind fighting him to not look— to save the last bit of decency that he may have had left in him. But his curiosity is much stronger, and Yeonjun knows there is no going back when his eyes land on his laptop’s screen.

And you’re there, in your room, laying on your bed casually as you scroll on your phone, clearly waiting for Yeonjun to show up. You’re wearing Yeonjun’s favorite hoodie once more, and he almost thinks you might just be doing all this on purpose— especially with the way your small shorts seem to ride up your thighs effortlessly.

“Let’s go,” is all Yeonjun can say, hoping that the effect of seeing you like this is gone unnoticed by Beomgyu— his head feels dizzy, full of the images of you and all of the possibilities as he knocks on your door, trying helplessly to get the intrusive thoughts out of his head. Beomgyu’s mocking laugh next to him does nothing to help.

“Jun—!” Your happy exclamation is cut short as you finally notice the other person behind your friend, flushing with embarrassment at being seen in such clothing. You’re suddenly more self-aware of yourself as you greet him shyly, and Yeonjun tries to not let his irritation show as he clears his throat, your attention back on him.

“Hope you don’t mind the extra company,” your friend says, and you’re quick to reassure him as you step aside, gesturing for the two to come in happily.

“Nah, more people to enjoy my aunt’s pie,” you grin, leading them to the kitchen happily; it smells sweet, the pie still warm as you had already prepared two plates— you’re quick to grab an extra one, smiling cutely as you serve them each a slice.

And Yeonjun wishes otherwise, but he can’t help but get excited at the way you seem to be tired from your trip, still a bit groggy and slow with your every action as you suggest watching a movie or two— the look exchanged between the two men goes unnoticed by you, the small device suddenly weighing Beomgyu’s pocket a lot more than it did a few seconds ago.

You’re happy to have both of them seated at each of your sides, though you’d never admit it out loud— the sudden warmth and comfort of having the two men next to you only made you drowsier, the movie left unwatched as you inevitably fell asleep; your phone left on the coffee table in front of you as you nuzzle into Yeonjun, searching desperately for the scent that always seemed to remind you of home.

With one look towards Beomgyu, he watches as the younger is quick to grab your phone, sneaking off into the bathroom so you won’t be able to catch him implanting the tracker. Slinging the bookbag containing the laptop over his shoulder, he quickly disappears as he tries to get it all over with as soon as possible, your peaceful form on the couch remaining unaware of it all.

“Mmh, where’s gyu?” Yeonjun can feel you stirring against his figure minutes later, the suddenness of your voice startling the man as he wraps an arm around you in a panic. He’s pulling you closer to him, putting on an act of clinginess as he whines for you to not get up, much to your protests.

“He’s in the bathroom,” Yeonjun says, arms wrapped around you tightly as he pulls you back down, laying on the couch as he shamelessly brings you closer to him, “don’t, I’m comfortable like this.”

If it weren’t Yeonjun who was doing this to you, you would have immediately wondered why he was being so clingy to you suddenly— but you can’t bring yourself to fight against him, the drowsiness combating against your brain as you finally give in to his request; the feeling of you slumping against Yeonjun’s figure tiredly allows him to finally relax. He hopes desperately that you can’t feel the way his heart is practically pounding against his chest, or the way his hands have gone shaky as they attempt to steady themselves on your back— the idea of you finding out what the two were up to was enough to set Yeonjun off into a feeling of panic.

You would hate him; you would think he was disgusting, too. But the thoughts were quickly swept away the moment Beomgyu emerged from the hall, triumphantly sliding your phone back on the coffee table, your sleeping figure weighing Yeonjun down on the couch as he finally allowed himself to bask in the feeling of it— because now, you would never be out of their sight.

You would be safe.

-♡♡♡-

Well, this is new.

Yeonjun stands outside the small coffee shop you work at, a family-owned business that you dedicated yourself to because “it reminded you of the cafe back at home.”

Yet from the time you’ve been working there, Yeonjun has never seen this— as in, you talking to the tall boy that smiles cutely at you as you explain something to him. Yeonjun is more than happy to turn your attention over to him the moment he enters the shop, your face lighting up as you wave excitedly to your friend; the boy beside you attempts to keep his dimpled smile from slipping.

Soobin, his name tag reads— and according to you, he‘s been here for months. The friendly smiles and small talk that the man exchanges with Yeonjun mean nothing, because he knows well that you’ve managed to snag the tall man’s attention; the only thing that runs through his mind is how to get Soobin out of the picture; the last thing he needed was a repeat of Jaemin.

“Yeah, he’s really sweet,” you say to Yeonjun, telling him about the man that is currently back in the kitchen, “not that I’m interested or anything.”

Soobin was, at most, a good friend to you. You had trained him most days when he first started working with you, and he was easy to get along with. But what you failed to tell Yeonjun was just how sweet he was— to you, specifically. The lingering thoughts of him being interested in you began to plague your mind, and despite you telling yourself that there was just no way, you couldn’t help but begin to overthink his every action.

“Was he a friend of yours?” Soobin asked, reappearing at your side the moment Yeonjun finally bids you goodbye. You nod, telling him that you’d been friends with the man since you were children— Soobin smiles fondly at the thought.

“That’s nice— I’m glad he’s gone though,” he says, watching the way you frown at his words, “Cause now I get you to myself!”

“Oh, uhm,” you can’t fight the way your awkwardness peaks though, thoroughly caught off guard by his words as you try to sputter a coherent response—Soobin simply laughs at your reaction.

“Cause I need you to show me how to use the new coffee machine they installed,” he says, enjoying the way you shrink in embarrassment by your reaction. Soobin was quite the tease— you would find yourself in situations like these quite often, his bold words making you trip over yourself as he would smile, fully aware of his effect as he would backtrack instantly; he had your mind spinning by the time you went to clock out.

You really hope Soobin is nothing more than that— a tease. Because as you wave to him goodbye, shrugging your jacket on as you send him a small wave, you try to look past the way his eyes narrow fondly at you, feeling his eyes lingering on your form until you’re out of sight— you try to suppress the shiver that threatens to wrack through you.

The drive home allows you to clear your mind well; the stress from work and your endless assignments have left you in distress, the sudden moment of weakness only bringing about more unwanted distractions— as in, Jaemin. And while it felt nice to be able to lean on someone while you finally got rid of the nuisance in your life, you were looking forward to finally being able to spend a moment alone, at peace, with no one to constantly try to stick by your side— the failed attempt to do so by going to your aunt’s place only left a bitter taste in your mouth.

So, to say that you’re confused when you see the small bouquet by your door is an understatement—more so when you spot the pretty burgundy envelope tucked in neatly.

They’re roses; and from what you can tell, they’ve been sitting outside for quite a while—most likely since you’ve been at work. The flowers smell sweet, the petals spread beautifully and tinted a deep color that almost matches the envelope— you gulp as you attempt to calculate how much they might’ve cost.

But who would do this? You don’t know anyone that would be the type to give you flowers; maybe that’s why your hands are so shaky when you open your door.

You’re reluctant to make your way to your kitchen counter; there’s a heavy pit that has formed in your stomach. You’re unsure why, but your mind seems to tell you that something isn’t quite right about your sudden gift. The flowers are soft as silk— the arranger must have been quite the professional, because they still seem to be alive and fresh despite the countless hours they must have spent outside; but you brush those thoughts aside, taking a deep breath as you finally dislodge the small envelope from its hiding place.

There’s a wax seal on it— the image of a heart has been stamped into it, the wax a midnight blue so dark it almost passed off as black. Carefully, you took the seal off, surprised that someone would still communicate in such a manner, and opened the letter.

“What… the… fuck?”

My dearest ___,

I know it might seem surprising to have such a gesture delivered to you out of the blue, but I don’t think I can hold back any longer. I’m content simply watching from the sidelines, for now, so don’t worry too much about me; just know I mean well. I’m too scared to say any of this to you in person; I know that you don’t feel the same about me. But I’d hope to change your mind through these gifts that come from the heart— that come from my heart.

Did you like the flowers? I know that roses are quite the cliche flower, but I can think of no better way to start things off than with something as simple as this— something that can show you just how much I love you. Of course, if you don’t like them, then I’ll stop sending them; but then again, I’ll be sure to never send you the same thing more than once. You deserve to be spoiled.

You looked so beautiful today; you always do, honestly. I just wish I could get you on your own, at peace for one moment, but there’s always someone that wants to get in the way of us— it seems like you can never be alone for one second. Do you feel the same way? You know, I could help everyone go away, if you’d let me.

Then it’d be just us two.

Stay safe,

I’ll always watch over you.

The envelope slips from your hands, and it falls on your counter with a heavy thud. Out slide more small contents, and you can already feel your whole body go numb as you pick it up— there were three pictures inside.

And fuck— they were all of you.

Studying in the corner of the cafe you work at during your break, a frown on your face as you concentrate hard on your screen— a picture of you in the park, walking along your usual trail; only it’s been taken from behind, zoomed in so much that the picture has become a bit blurry. Shakily, you flip to the last picture, your mouth going dry as you drop the picture immediately— it’s you, standing in the kitchen, cooking something as the picture seems to have been taken from outside.

The pictures land gingerly on your counter, flipping over to the backside as you spot something else— more writing. You’re sick to your stomach as you pick them up, your other hand gripping the counter as you feel your knees threaten to give out under you— a sob threatens to escape you as you read the comments left behind each picture.

“You look so cute when you’re concentrated. I wish you would take a day off once in a while though.” the first one says, your fingers digging into the photo the longer you survey the writing. Reluctantly, you move on to the next one, eyes stinging as you read.

“Monthly visit— I’m glad to see you’re eating well.”

Oh god,you think, forehead hitting the counter roughly as you let out a shaky sigh, lips dry as you feel the way your skin has become clammy, monthly. Monthly visit.

And before you can stop yourself, you read the last one, the picture shaking so harshly that it takes you a second before you can properly read what has been written on the back— but once you do, you think you might just collapse on the floor.

“I love walking with you. I’ll keep you safe.”

Fuck.

“Fuck!” You seethe, racing to all your windows and closing all the blinds immediately, double checking all your locks as you tried to remain out of sight from the windows, much too afraid of what you might find outside. Your heart is pounding and your body is trembling, your breath labored as you finally stumble back to your kitchen— only to slide onto the floor, hiding in the corner and as far away from all windows as possible.

You’ve always enjoyed looking outside your windows— enjoyed the pretty scenery, the quiet neighborhood, and the sun that always brought light to filter into your kitchen beautifully with every sunset— your stomach twists roughly at the thought of your innocent actions being used against you in such a way.

The letter and the pictures are crushed in your hands; they’ve been typed neatly, the font practically mocking you as it impedes you from trying to identify the handwriting— even the comments on the pictures have been typed out, printed out on sticker paper as they stick neatly to the center, the cutesy comments doing nothing to calm you down.

Who were they? What did they want?

Where were they?

You can practically feel the sob explode from you as you begin to shake, your form curling up as you find yourself too afraid to move— too afraid to lift your head, to open your eyes, to do anything.

And for once, you really wish you weren’t alone.

Am I bad, am I bad, am I bad, am I really that bad?

-♡♡♡-

Beomgyu knows something is wrong the moment you walk into class.

You’re tired, sluggish even, as you spot the man sitting in his usual seat— he tries to hide his surprise as you beeline to him, setting your bag down as you scoot closer to him subtly. Your clothes are in disarray and your eyes are red, and it seems like you haven’t gotten any sleep at all; his heart twists seeing you in such a state.

“___,” Beomgyu says, turning to you as he observes you; you’re practically falling asleep in your seat, jumping up in alarm at the sound of the man calling your name— you feel a bit shaky as you meet his questioning gaze.

“What happened?” A part of you is grateful to see how quick to notice Beomgyu is; but you hesitate to answer nonetheless, unsure of what to tell him as you look around the class nervously.

“It’s, uhm…” you shift awkwardly, your hand reaching for your bag hesitantly; the letters you’ve been receiving inside— you had planned to meet with Yeonjun to show them to him. “Are you busy today?”

Beomgyu frowns; you’re restless, eyes darting around the room as if you were in search of something. Body stiff, he watched the way you flinch as your eyes dart back to him, almost as if you were afraid to see that he was already looking at you.

“I’m not,” he says slowly, carefully leaning in towards you. It’s as if you’re a wild animal, watching intently as he places a firm hand on top of yours; his heart sinks as he watches you flinch again.

“Are you okay?” He tries again, the warmth of his hand allowing you to ground yourself as you look into his eyes. You say nothing, and a moment passes before Beomgyu seems to realize that you won’t answer that. “Have you slept at all?”

You both already seemed to know the answer to that— of course not. You couldn’t help it, remaining huddled in your room night after night as you listened intently for any noises that could give you a sign of whether or not there was someone else home with you. Your body feels weak as you attempt to lie to him, to pretend as though you weren’t as much of a wreck as you seemed.

“I…” you hesitate again, pulling your hand away from Beomgyu as you turn away from him. “I’ll tell you later.”

You hear the man let out a soft “Okay,” the words bringing about an unexpected flood of relief in your system as you force yourself to stay awake. You can feel his stare on you for the rest of class, but you try to ignore it in hopes that he won’t question you anymore; to your luck, he seems to have taken the hint.

And even if you had only planned to tell Yeonjun about the sudden letters you’ve been receiving, you’re glad that you managed to bring Beomgyu along with you—you’ll feel safer this way.

-♡♡♡-

“What the fuck.”

You don’t know why you feel like this— embarrassed, self-conscious, anxious— you weren’t the one that wrote these letters; yet you can’t help but feel this way as you watch the two men across from you read your letters over and over, looking at the pictures with such rage and disgust that you’re shrinking down in your seat in anticipation.

You currently sat in a booth of a restaurant, hidden from view as you finally built up the courage to pull your letter out of your bag, explaining to them the events from yesterday as you silently hope that they’ll be able to help you— their shocked looks and speechless faces don’t seem to be very promising so far.

“I just don’t know what to do,” you admit, downcast as your trace shapes on the table absentmindedly, “I think we should take this to the police.”

“I think so too,” Beomgyu says, eyes filled with rage as he looks at the picture taken of you in your home, “but I don’t think they’ll be able to do anything just yet. We need to wait— get more evidence. Show that they’re serious trouble.”

“Wait? Are you fucking crazy?” Yeonjun is quick to shut the other man down, slamming the letter on the desk as he stares at the man in disbelief. Sitting up, you feel a rush of anxiety run through you at the sight of your friend getting so worked up. “___, you can’t stay there. It’s too dangerous.”

“What? No, no no,” you say, catching on to what your friend is implying as you shake your head, “Yeonjun, I don’t want to bother you— what if… what if I bring them to you, too?”

“I don’t care,” Yeonjun says, stubborn as ever even as he listens to your weak rebuttals, “I’ll stay at your place, then. You can’t be alone like this.”

He’s right— you know this, but you still can’t help but want to refuse his offer, much too afraid that you’ll inconvenience him— or worse, get him involved.

“I just…” you bite at your lip, fighting back the sudden lump that has formed in your throat, your eyes stinging as the lack of sleep comes back to bite you, “I’m scared. I don’t want to get you roped up in this too.”

“We’ll be here for you,” Beomgyu quickly says, reaching over to grab your hand once more. You look down, taking a deep breath as he squeezes your hand gently, “we’ll keep you safe.”

You know he means well, but you can’t help but shudder at his words— an eerie echo of the letter.

It’s okay, your mind tells you, attempting to calm down your nerves as you squeeze his hand back, they’ll protect you.

You’re safe.

-♡♡♡-

Yeonjun quickly offered to take you home.

After stopping at a pharmacy to get you some sleeping pills, he dropped you off, reassuring you that he would stay with you while you rest. Yet despite his promise to stick with you at all times, you currently found yourself home alone, waiting patiently for your friend to come back; he left to get an overnight bag, swearing up and down that he wouldn’t take long.

A part of you wished that Beomgyu was here with you now, but you had already declined his offer back at the restaurant— you didn’t want to inconvenience him, either. But now that you’re here, counting the seconds away as you listen carefully for any abnormal sounds, you can’t help but wish that you accepted his offer; maybe then you wouldn’t be pacing back and forth in front of your door, checking the time restlessly as you debated on calling your friend.

And when you hear the crinkling of paper under your foot, you could only feel the regret sink into you more, the feeling heavy as you slowly look down, taking a step back to see what you’ve stepped on.

Another letter.

Oh god, you think, sick to your stomach as you lean against the wall, how long has that been there?

You’re too afraid to pick it up, but you can tell that it’s been there for a while by the footprint of your shoe that tainted the paper— you probably didn’t notice it when you came in. But that doesn’t stop the overwhelming fear that rushes through you, your knees weak as you slowly bend down to grab the envelope; the same blue seal greets you as you turn it over.

Should you open it now? Should you wait? Your mind is racing as you stare down at the envelope, picking at the seal as you feel your heart pound against your chest. Sighing, you go back to your couch, shakily sitting down as you finally decide to open it, the curious itch inside you begging you to get it over with now.

___.

How could you? This letter was meant to be a connection between the two of us— so why would you show it to them? You know, I was willing to excuse just how much time you’ve been spending with them, but now that I’ve seen just how ungrateful you are, I’m not sure if I can.

Everyone makes mistakes— and that’s okay. I’ll be willing to forgive you, my love, but don’t show them anything I give you ever again. Everything I send to you is meant for your eyes only, so if I ever see you sharing my gifts with others, it won’t go well for you— or them.

And trust me, I will know.

I hate that it’s had to come to this, my love. But promise me you’ll be good and listen to me, okay? I’m sure you’d like to keep Yeonjun safe and sound, right? Oh, and Beomgyu too— it wouldn’t be right to have something happen to them because of your actions.

I still love you, my lovely, but know that this stunt of yours has cost you a bit of my trust; I guess I’ll have to keep a closer eye on you.

I trust that you’ll be smarter from now on.

Stay safe,

I’ll always watch over you.

The paper crumbles under your hold as you grip it tightly, tears staining the paper as you read the letter again— and again, unsure of what to do with the situation at hand. You didn’t know what this person was capable of, and you really didn’t want to find out— a chill ran through your body at the very thought.

It was as if the letter wasn’t enough to prove his words, because three more pictures seem to follow along with the message, your heart heavy as you finally gather enough courage to see what else this psycho has sent you.

The first is a picture of you and Beomgyu walking into the restaurant, your weary gaze looking around the area to see if anyone had been following you— yet despite that, you still weren’t able to notice the person who took this picture.

Why must you act this way? The back reads, the neat font a mocking reminder that there’s no way you can trace these to a person, I would never harm you.

The second picture is taken when you’re already sitting in the booth, the clear view of your face bringing about another wave of panic inside you as you realize that they were in there, with you, and you never even noticed.

You look distraught, tracing shapes on the table as Beomgyu’s shoulders barely come into the frame—just when you thought you would have thrown him off, they still manage to find you— and take pictures of you, too.

No matter where you try to go, I’ll always find you. The picture says, the words only leave a sick feeling inside you, with ease.

The last picture was taken at the pharmacy, your weary figure leaning against Yeonjun as he looks through the medications before him, his arm wrapped around your waist in support. You feel hesitant to read what’s on the back.

Are you kidding? How do you allow him to be this comfortable with you? Do you like him? There’s only one person meant for you, my love. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to ignore his behavior.

You’re crying now, shoulders shaking and chest heaving as you struggle to keep your composure, the fear of someone following you and threatening the relationship with your friends bringing a horrible ache to your head. Your lungs burn as you try to calm down, but are unable to do so as you glance back at the letter before you; you put everything back in the envelope, shoving it into the crevice of your couch cushions as you try to rid the letter from your mind.

Your house is silent save for the sounds of your crying, yet you can’t help but freeze as you hear a sound resonate throughout the house; your breathing stops. Frozen, you carefully look up, surveying your house as you wait for another sound— you’re standing, ready to make a break for it at any moment.

At the sound of a soft creak, you’re sprinting to the door, all paranoid thoughts discarded as a new goal enters your head: get to safety. Swinging the door open, you can’t control the scream that erupts from you as you’re met with the sight of men at your door, your hands flying up instinctively as you stumble back— only to trip over your own feet, flying back as you collide with your hardwood floor roughly.

“___!” The voice is unfamiliar in your mind, your vision hazy as you struggle to breathe— you’re gasping for air, tears leaving your eyes rapidly as you try to back away from the approaching figure; but it’s useless, your weak body easily encased in the man’s arms as you attempt to push away from him, his soft reassurance falling on deaf ears as you become disoriented.

“She’s having a panic attack,” the other voice says, the man coming closer to you as he takes a seat on the floor. Firmly, he grabs your hands, fingers intertwined with yours as he speaks, “It’s us. Yeonjun and Beomgyu. You’re okay, I promise.”

His words break through your blurred mind, soft hiccups leaving you as your cries go quiet, eyes screwing shut as you shakily gasp for air. You can hear their soothing voices attempt to ground you, but it’s hard to focus on anything as the fear that paralyzed you still lingers in your system. It takes you a while, but by the moment you’re able to calm down, you’re grabbing onto Beomgyu, bringing him in closer as you whisper in a panic.

“There’s someone here,” you say, ignoring the way he frowns at your words, “there’s an intruder— please, we have to leave.”

“There’s no one,” Beomgyu reassures you, trying to calm your panicking mind even as you refuse his claims, “I promise you it’s just us— here, I’ll go check.”

Beomgyu ignores your quiet plea to stay as he goes to check every room, corner, and hiding place, looking for anything that may show signs of someone else’s presence. But when he returns, he can only shake his head as he tells you that you’re safe— that there was no one here.

“But I thought,” you whimper, your mind going back to the sounds you heard a moment ago— it all seemed so real. But one look back to Beomgyu tells you that he’s not lying, his soothing reassurance that you’re safe doing little to calm your restless mind.

Maybe you were imagining it.

For the rest of the night, you’re unable to get rid of the paranoia that clouded your mind, trying your best to avoid walking past windows as Yeonjun and Beomgyu stick by your side— their presence is the only comfort that allows you to sleep at night.

“We’ll sleep in the living room, I promise you’ll be safe,” Yeonjun says, kissing your forehead gently as he takes a look at your face— you’re still shaken from the events that transpired earlier, and he wishes he had never left your side as he remembers the fear that filled your teary eyes as you looked at them. Beomgyu stands next to you, nodding his head as he takes your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as he sends you a reassuring smile. You say nothing, your mind panicking as you watch them turn to leave.

“Wait,” you’re meek as you grab onto their shirts, pulling them back weakly as they send you a curious look; the embarrassment from your actions floods your body quickly.

“I don‘t… I don’t want to be alone,” you say, flushing as you stare down at the floor, “Can you stay with me? Both of you?”

They say nothing, and you can already feel the regret creep up for asking, yet just as you’re about to take back your request, Yeonjun takes your hand, your head snapping back up as you look at him; your hopeful eyes give you away quickly.

“Of course,” Yeonjun says, smiling fondly at you, “whatever you want.”

It’s a bit awkward as you try to explain that you don’t want them to just be in the room with you, but you’d actually want them to be next to you as you sleep— you’re all flustered as you finally propose the idea. Yet in the end, they can never say no to you; so you’re finally able to sleep as they hold you close, Beomgyu’s hold on your hand and Yeonjun’s arm thrown over your waist, their promise to stick close to your side finally allowing you to calm down.

The letter in between the couch cushions is forgotten.

-♡♡♡-

It’s been a while since you’ve been able to enjoy your life.

Your days are filled with nothing but paranoia and fear, your skittish behavior not remaining unnoticed by your friends as they continue to ask what’s wrong— but you refuse to tell them anything.

“But the letters have stopped, right?” Yeonjun asks, sitting across from you at the library table as he watches the way you’re unable to look up from your laptop, afraid that one look at him will be all it takes for you to fold.

“Yes,” you say hesitantly, pretending to be busy as you pause, “but it’s just… hard to get over.”

Yeonjun is understanding of that— he thinks you’re doing better, ever since you decided to stop clinging onto them helplessly; but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The letters never stopped— if anything, they only got worse. They were filled with detailed words of this psycho proclaiming their love to you, followed by countless pictures of you— with your friends, alone, even in places you swore were practically empty— places that made someone pointing a camera at you easier to spot.

That had become your new strategy— when you weren’t at home or work, you resided in the loneliest, quiet public places; the library being one of the most common ones. It was unhealthy, but you kept every letter, gift, and picture, poring endlessly over every minuscule detail as you tried to find anything that could trace you back to them— whether that be the camera angle, speech patterns, or gift brands.

Yet, you couldn’t find anything— No two gifts were the same, the speech this person used was too formal for it to ever be used in real life, and every picture taken was different; even when they were taken in the same locations, the camera angles were always different and unpredictable.

In the end, you were just as obsessed with your stalker as they were with you.

Your life was no longer the same— every moment you stepped outside the house was a moment where you were being watched, a moment where you were left vulnerable to the eyes of your stalker; and sure enough, every second spent outside would be captured and sent back in the same, deep red envelope.

The letters piled up, your wariness of those around you growing as you wracked your mind of ways you could get rid of this mystery person— you’d give anything for them to leave you alone, even for a single day. It even got to the point where you ordered a bat online— for protection, you told yourself. You tried to set up cameras around your house too, but every time you thought the culprit was at your doorstep, it would just be the mailman, there to deliver the same packages that haunted your daily life.

At first, it was nothing special— generic flowers, jewelry, chocolates; random things that always ended up in the trash or your pile of evidence.

Then, it got specific.

The sweater you stopped to look at while you were walking around the mall— an album from your favorite artist, the item so rare that it must’ve cost a couple hundred— Today’s item came in a small velvet box.

Carefully, you open it, your hands shaking as you realize what this stalker has gifted you— a necklace. But not just any necklace; of course not, why would they gift you something generic when they can gift you something eerily specific instead? Yelling in disgust, you toss the necklace on the counter, left in disbelief by the item.

It was a diamond necklace you had been looking at, giddy at the fantasy of ever owning it; one that you had only looked at online. You’d never said a word about it to your friends, let alone looked at it in public.

I’ll give you the world, the note attached to the box reads, all you have to do is ask.

The velvet box was quickly tossed into your pile of evidence.

You’ll never be safe, you think, your body ready to shut down on you as you glance down at the pile of letters before you tiredly, not as long as they’re around.

-♡♡♡-

Your behavior change is noticeable to everyone— especially Soobin.

It was as if he noticed immediately—being extra kind to you, offering to do so many things for you as he tried to get you to rest as much as possible. It was sweet really, if his underlying crush didn’t make his motives so obvious.

His offers to eat together or hang out were swiftly declined; you couldn’t imagine having someone new come into your life at the moment. And when he hinted at having feelings for you, you were gentle to reject him, saying that you weren’t in a good place in your life to think about relationships. In the end, he was sweet nonetheless, comforting you when needed and allowing you to take small naps on your break— a small pastry would be left near you when you woke up. (Courtesy of the alarms Soobin would set up.)

You remember the first time you woke to the sweet gesture, confusion filling your mind as Soobin had left a note next to the pastry. “It’s not much, but take it as a token of my gratitude in return for what you did :)”

It took you a while to figure out what he meant by that— you chalked it up to the time you covered for his shift, not bothering to ask as you ate the pastry hungrily.

Then, it seemed as if something changed; suddenly, you didn’t mind his constant acts of kindness, the smile he flashed you as he complimented you shyly a lot cuter than it was before. You found yourself excited to see him when you went to work, eager to make conversation whenever you had a chance. He was quick to notice this change too— quick to pick up on your new view of him.

So he tried again, asking if you’d like to eat together outside of work; when you said yes, he broke out into the cutest dimpled grin. He was like a giddy child around you, your relationship strengthening as he stuck to you like glue— he felt safe, constantly checking up on you and your health when you weren’t at work, bringing you meals and buying gifts despite your constant reluctance to accept them.

With one last leap of faith, you finally decided to let Soobin into your life; the prospect of liking him didn’t seem so sour anymore. Maybe it was because of his caring nature, or maybe it was because of the way your letters seemed to have ceased, even if it would just be for a moment.

My dearest ___, the last letter you received read,

It pains me to say this, but my letters to you will cease briefly— I will be traveling for a bit, but I will be back. Maybe, once I get back, I’ll gather the courage to see you in person.

I know this letter is brief, but I have important business I must attend to; I trust that you’ll wait patiently for my return. In the meantime, I leave you this gift— I hope you’ll think of me as I will of you.

Stay safe,

I’ll miss you dearly.

The gift mentioned was another necklace— a golden chain with a heart pendant on it, the color the same red as the envelopes you received. The necklace was stored with the rest of your gifts quickly, a shiver running down your body as you read the note attached to it— I hope to see you wearing this when we meet— for I will have one to match yours.

So, as much as you wished to give into Soobin’s flirting and sweet gestures, you knew you couldn’t; what you needed was to plan for your stalker’s return.

-♡♡♡-

“It doesn’t make sense,” you whisper to yourself, staring at the pictures laid out before you as you go over them once more, “How were these pictures taken? I don’t remember anyone being there.”

In the end, your attempts to make sense of everything were futile; your stalker covered up their tracks nicely. You were obsessive, ignoring the outside world around you once more as you received a postcard in the mail today— a bitter reminder that you weren’t out of the woods yet. The small postcard had been waiting for you when you woke up, your throat drying as you carefully picked it up— there were no addresses or stamps on it.

I’m finally home. I missed you so much, it felt great to be in front of your home again. I hope you slept well, my lovely.

When you first read the postcard, a wave of nausea washed over you; you almost fainted on the spot. They had been at your house while you were sleeping— they could have broken in if they wanted to. A shaky sigh escapes you, your body sweaty as you make your way to your laptop; if they had been here, then surely the cameras you set up must have caught it.

Biting at your lip, you scroll through the footage impatiently, eyes wide open as you wait for the person to appear— but nothing comes. It isn’t until you’re checking the time and date that you notice it— there’s footage missing.

Your hands are shaky as you go to three am— the last time the cameras were working— and watch as the timestamp skips to four am swiftly.

A whole hour of footage. Missing.

How did they get access to your footage? How did they find out about your hidden cameras? You had made sure to put them up from the inside, angling them to look outside so your stalker wouldn’t have been able to see you put them up. And yet, it didn’t work. They still found a way to get around the protection you set up. Shuddering, you feel the heavy dread form in your chest as you fight back the tears that prick at your eyes.

You’re not sure if you want to leave your home at all anymore.

-♡♡♡-

In the end, you force yourself to continue with your life— the constant texts and calls from your friends asking if you were okay becoming a bit too much. You didn’t go to class, you called off work, and you couldn’t bring yourself to leave your home anymore; you weren’t sure of what to do.

But the reminders from your stalker to keep your letters a secret forced you to continue as if nothing was happening; if any of your friends continued to pry, you’re not sure if you would be able to hold on to the truth much longer. Yeonjun was particularly persistent; constantly asking if the stalker had returned, if you needed him to come over, or if you wanted to stay over at his place. You were quick to deny it all each time, the piercing fear of seeing him hurt impeding you from saying a word. And in the end, it was just you, ready to take action on your own.

Your current plan was to go to the police— you would take Yeonjun and Beomgyu with you, using them as extra protection as you finally revealed to them everything that has been going on.

You knew you had more than enough evidence by now, and with the countless letters filled with threats you would be able to claim that you were in danger— maybe that would put more urgency on your case. It was going to be hard to track your stalker down, but the prospect of visiting the police station after work tonight was the only thing giving you hope.

“Are you feeling alright?” You knew you looked a mess right now, your suspicions only being confirmed as Soobin approached you, his lips in a pout as he observed you in worry, “you look tired.”

“It’s nothing,” you quickly shrugged off his concern, flashing him a bright smile as you tried to put on the perfect facade you’d been cultivating for the past months, “don’t worry about it.”

But Soobin remained unconvinced; He didn’t try to hide it either, attempting to make your shift easier by taking any workload off your shoulders, despite your constant protests. His affection was persistent, an unnerved feeling forming in your stomach the longer time passed. Maybe it was your horrid paranoia, but even the customers that came in seemed to leave you on edge, any passing look becoming a lingering stare, every smile becoming something more sinister.

By the time you were ready to go home, you were practically running to your car, unable to feel apologetic for the brief goodbye you gave Soobin— you were more than ready to go to the police station.

More than ready to finally get this awful secret off your chest.

Instinctively, you reached out to the passenger’s seat, expecting to feel the small box filled with evidence; only to feel nothing.

Fuck, you realize, letting out a frustrated groan as you smack your steering wheel, you forgot it at home. With a text to your friends to meet you at your home, you change course.

You make your way back home bitterly, angry that you had been so rushed to get to work that you forgot about the most important thing that could help your case. The sun had set an hour ago, the sky dark as every street was illuminated with streetlamps— yet even then, you couldn’t help the way your grip on the steering wheel tightened nervously.

Your phone buzzed— it was a text message. You glanced at it briefly, seeing Soobin’s contact name appear on your screen. Ignoring it, you continue driving, listening as your phone buzzes again— then again, and again, and again.

By now your body is tingling with anxiety, your palms clammy as you finally get the view of your house. You’re not sure why, but you’re urgent as you make your way inside, legs shaky as you grab your phone, reading all the text messages Soobin sent you.

Soobin:

I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable tonight.

I really care about you, you know.

I would never do anything to harm you.

I love you so much.

My lovely.

This is just a coincidence, your brain told you, fumbling with your doorknob as you stumbled inside, don’t jump to any conclusions.

But how could you not? It was impossible, his speech patterns the exact same as the ones used in the letters— like the very one you seemed to step on now, you realize horribly; your breathing becomes staggered.

You practically ripped the envelope as you opened the letter, going to your bedroom as you read the letter; you were going to leave through the back door, praying silently that your stalker wasn’t around to see.

But it seemed as though life had other plans, because as you finish the small message, you feel yourself freeze with fear.

I miss seeing you happy. I’m sorry I let you down.

Please don’t go to the police, I promise I’ll do better.

I’ll make you happy— I’ll fix things! Everything will be as it was before.

Just wait for me, okay?

See you soon, my lovely.

The box of evidence wasn’t where you left it— it was gone.

No matter how much you trashed your room and looked through every nook and cranny, your mind concluded that he must have gotten to it first. He must have known about your plan for a while now.

The box of evidence was no longer on your list of priorities, you decided. Your main priority now was to get out of the house.

Yet just as you were exiting your bedroom, the front door bursts open, and in comes the very person you were dreading to see the most.

“Stay back!” You scream, tears pricking at your eyes as you stumble back, arm flailing behind you as you reach for anything to help you defend yourself.

“___!” Soobin steps forward, but stops as you yell at him once more, your throat raw from the force as you try to not fall from the fear that shakes you. You’re trembling violently, the sight of the man behind it all causing you to panic like never before— your lungs burn, unable to breathe properly as you try to think of any way that you can stall.

“Please, listen to me!” Soobin, you’ve realized, looks just as panicked as you— his eyes are teary, chest heaving as his hands remain stretched out towards you; he’s treating you like a wounded animal, slowly attempting to step toward you; but with every step forward, you take many more back, eyes stuck on him as the fear of him doing something unpredictable prevents you from running away.

“Leave,” you say, panting wildly as you attempt to muster as much courage inside you as you can, “leave me the fuck alone!”

Your voice booms around the small living room, the man before you flinching from the sheer force of the scream that left you— your throat stings, and you’re sure that you’re not getting enough oxygen in your system as you struggle to calm down.

“___, please,” he begs again, stepping back as he attempts to speak to you, “I’m not trying to harm you, I swear! It wasn’t, I’m not the one who—“

Before you can attempt to dispute his sad attempts to redeem himself, he’s tackled to the floor, your friends bursting through the door as they take him by surprise— you’ve never been more thankful for them in your life.

But, as you guessed, Soobin didn’t come empty-handed— a pocket knife is pulled out of his pocket, and before any of you can react, he swings blindly; and slices cleanly on Beomgyu’s shoulder. The man winces, grabbing onto his shoulder as he grabs onto the wound— you can already see the blood seeping through the cracks of his fingers.

“Stay back, you sick bastards!”

You’ve never seen Soobin like this— wild and violent, eyes blown out as he threatens Yeonjun and Beomgyu with the weapon. He’s taking a step away from them, and your eyes widen as you watch him come to you. And it seems as though Yeonjun notices, because before you can stop him, he’s diving to disarm Soobin.

“Yeonjun, no!”

You’re not sure what took over you— maybe it was panic, seeing the way that Soobin quickly kicked your friend away, straddling him as he brought a rough punch to his face. Or maybe it was fear, watching as the man brought the knife back, ready to hurt Yeonjun without a second thought.

Or maybe it was anger, your clammy hands gripping your steel baseball bat tightly as you used up the rest of your strength to swing at your intruder.

He drops instantly— the knife clattering on your floor as you watch him fall back, landing on top of Yeonjun’s legs as you pant harshly, your breathing labored and mixed in with your heavy sobs as your bat follows shortly, clanging onto the ground.

It rolls slowly, dipping into the puddle of blood that is forming around Soobin’s head.

“No…”

Your eyes glance back at Soobin’s figure, catching onto the necklace that peeks out of his sweater— a golden chain with a deep, midnight blue heart pendant hanging from it.

“I didn’t…”

Soobin is on the floor— Soobin isn’t breathing either, and the bat that you used on him is laying by his side.

“I didn’t mean to…”

But it doesn’t matter if you meant to or not. Because as you collapse onto the floor, your vision spotting as your legs give in, this simple fact won’t change.

Soobin is dead.

And you killed him.

My baby’s got a gun, I better run!

My baby’s got a gun, it goes—

-♡♡♡-

“Do you think we were too harsh on her?”

The car ride is silent, your unconscious body slumped in the backseat of Yeonjun’s car as they make their way away from your town— Yeonjun frowns, listening to your restless stirring behind him; but you didn’t wake, your body too exhausted from the past month’s events as it tries to compensate your lack of sleep.

“A bit,” Beomgyu sighs, leaning his head back to rest against the seat as he watches the autumn leaves fall around him. Pouting, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a golden chain as he thumbed absentmindedly at the pendant attached, “but it’s okay— she’ll have us around.”

Yeonjun can’t help the way he feels a strange serenity wash over him; there would be no one else where you were going, no one to distract or stress you out as you took this time to heal; took the time to put yourself back together as you leaned on them for support.

And he knows Beomgyu feels the same— from the corner of his eye, he sees the way Beomgyu has read over his work with a satisfied smile, the messages sent through Soobin’s phone becoming the final piece they needed to get away with things.

“We still need to get rid of that god-awful body,” Beomgyu sneers, going through his mental checklist as he groans. It’s been an hour since they’d been driving, and he could almost feel his nausea growing stronger at the reminder of what remained in the car’s trunk.

“Not it,” Yeonjun quips, suppressing a smile at the way Beomgyu gawks at him. He laughs, the younger man shaking his head in disapproval at his words.

“If my arm wasn’t fucked up I’d punch you,” Beomgyu mutters, glancing back at Yeonjun as he added, “Add another bruise to that face.”

“Hey man, I didn’t actually expect him to fight back.”

Soobin had simply been another step in their deluded plan to get you to rely solely on them. They had let him in on the letters that had been sent to you, taking him with them on their way home to you— they made him believe you were in danger.

“This is sick,” he said in the backseat of Yeonjun’s car, unaware of what was coming for him as they led him to his demise, “I can’t believe someone would do this to her.”

“Well, it’s quite easy really,” Beomgyu had said, turning in his seat as he cast Soobin a mischievous grin, the car parked as he sent him a wink, “especially when she doesn’t suspect the ones she trusts the most.”

Beomgyu still feels the tingle of excitement that ran through his spine at Soobin’s reaction, the slow realization that dawned on his face as his jaw dropped; followed by his wide eyes, pupils flooded with horror as he rushed to get out of the car— and ran straight to your home.

“Poor thing thinks he can save her,” Beomgyu pouted, watching the way Soobin bursts in your door roughly— the crazed image he made for himself was unintentional, but perfect nonetheless. They had waited outside for a second, listening to the powerful boom of your voice as you tried to defend yourself; he remembers how he shivered in delight at the sound, finding your willpower to survive quite pleasant.

They had never meant for you to be the one to kill him— no, not one bit. If anything, the dirty work was meant to be done by Yeonjun, staged as an accident the moment he dove to tackle Soobin— the glint of his pocket knife appeared under the street lamps as he drove. But in the end, your small kick of adrenaline and instinct only helped them more— because at least now they wouldn’t have to justify their murder to you.

But you would.

Their image would remain pristine, and you would have to cling desperately to them as you begged them to not see you in a different light— to not see you as a killer.

They can hear your turmoil now as your toss and turn in your seat, sweat gleaming on your forehead as you mumble incoherently. You’re frowning, catching their attention as you begin to thrash around, your body distraught as you fight against the seatbelt— you wake up with a cry.

“___!” Beomgyu says, slipping into his pleasant facade as he reaches back for you, wincing at the exertion as he grabs your hand gently. “It’s okay, you’re okay.”

Your teary gaze clears as you feel the hot trails run down your cheeks, your vision finally clearing as you feel the firm hold of Beomgyu’s fingers lacing with yours— he gives you a gentle squeeze, holding back a groan of pain as he did so; your head snapped up at the realization.

“Gyu!” You say, taking off your seatbelt and scooting forward despite his protests, “you’re hurt, don’t move.”

“This? It’s nothing, I promise.” Beomgyu says, turning in his seat as he faces you. Reaching out, he cups your face, a fond smile on his own as he caresses your tear-stained cheeks comfortingly. “What matters now is that you’re safe.”

He can see the stress that lingers in your eyes, the fear not yet subsided as you finally take a look at your surroundings— you’re surrounded by nothing but trees, the area unfamiliar as Yeonjun pulls into an unknown driveway.

“Where…” The house is at the top of a mountain, placed next to a cliff as it gives way to a view of a small town far off— a town you didn’t recognize. “Where are we?”

“We’ll explain everything to you later,” Yeonjun says, parking the car as he finally glances back at you— you gasp, taking in his busted lip and the bruise on his face. “But right now, you need to rest. Beomgyu will stay with you.”

“But what about you?” You ask, reaching out to touch his face— your touch is like a feather, cautiously grazing over his injuries as you pull back in a panic the moment he winces.

“Gonna go pick up some things from the store,” he says, gesturing to the town that seems distant from the rest of you. It seems as though he catches the worry in your eyes, because he pats your head softly, pulling you in as he gently kisses your forehead. “Beomgyu will explain everything. I promise.”

You’re hesitant as Beomgyu leads you into this new home, unable to stop yourself from glancing back to where Yeonjun remains, his soft smile and wave goodbye all you get before he drives off— solemnly, you continue to watch until his car is out of sight.

“Where are we?” Your voice feels unfamiliar to you; soft and vulnerable, your body still shaky as you cling onto Beomgyu— yet you can’t help it, your mind preventing you from being alone for a second as the image of Soobin’s lifeless body is burned into your mind.

“It’s a cabin my family would rent out for vacations, though we don’t use it at all anymore…” Beomgyu explained, refraining from cooing at the way you stuck to him, grabbing onto his good arm tightly as you looked around wearily. “We’ll stay here while everything cools down.”

While everything cools down.

It seems as though his words seemed to trigger something in you; you no longer felt like yourself, the memories of everything flooding your mind as tears began to flow from you endlessly.

The letters were gone. All your evidence that could have justified what you did, gone. All that would be left was Soobin’s body, and a murderer on the run; you.

You weren’t a killer. You were only trying to defend yourself, but now no one would believe you, and all your efforts to win this battle would be thrown down the drain.

“I’m not…” you mumble out, your brain slipping deeper into this strange space that leaves you vulnerable, seeking comfort as you attempt to wipe at your tears uselessly, “I’m not a killer.”

Beomgyu rushed to your side swiftly; he encases you, kissing the top of your head softly as he reassures you, soft words like “I know,” and “It’s okay.” escaping his lips repeatedly.

“I was just trying to defend myself!” You cry out, the image of Soobin’s lifeless eyes breaking you down as your body shakes, gripping Beomgyu’s shirt as you try to shake the vision from your mind.

“I know,” Beomgyu says, pulling away as he cups your cheek. Tilting your head up, he looks at you, smiling softly at the way your eyes sparkle under the dim moonlight. You’re perfect, and his mind practically spins at the way your pouty lips beg to be kissed. So he gives in, inching in slowly until your eyes are fluttering shut, the tears that cling to your lashes grazing your cheekbones like diamonds as he finally allows his lips to press against yours.

How long has he waited for this? Beomgyu has lost track, but all he knows is that no one will ever be able to compare to you. Your lips are chapped and bitten at, but it’s still perfect to him as you whimper, the comfort of his pillowy lips on yours a perfect distraction as you pull him in closer. He can feel you crying still, your mind weak and shaken as you desperately seek protection.

You’re divine. The perfect delicacy for him to indulge in, his hunger never satiating for as long as he’s alive.

Pulling away, he gently smooths out your hair, eyes lidded as he slowly takes in your face; his thumbs wipe at your eyes gently, sweeping your tears away before they slowly caress your cheeks. Finally, he allows himself to graze your bottom lip, laughing softly at the shaky breath you let out. He’s unable to resist the temptation, leaning back in as he gives you another firm kiss, his desire and love laced so deeply in it that he’s sure you’ll know just how much he means his next words.

“I believe you.”

And for now, that’s all you need.

-♡♡♡-

The first week is impossible to get through.

Yeonjun and Beomgyu try to make it more bearable, constantly distracting you and trying to keep your mood up, but it’s all in vain. You spend your days staring out into the small town, sitting near the edge of the cliff as you imagine a life where everything was normal— where your nights weren’t filled with the same recurring nightmares.

In your dreams, you relived the same night over and over— your mind filled with vivid images of Soobin reaching out to you, pleading to not let him die as you watched the life drain from his eyes. He always appeared as the same sweet guy from work, not the crazed stalker that ruined your life. Then there were nights when he wouldn’t die, taking the bat from your hands and forcing you to watch as he killed your friends instead; they would call for help, reaching out to you as you remained frozen in place, at fault for their deaths instead as Soobin left you with the aftermath.

It was especially bad the first night. You couldn’t sleep, and you remained a sobbing and broken mess as Yeonjun held you close— in the end, you simply slept from the exhaustion of all your crying, the comfort of Yeonjun’s arms wrapped around you allowing your mind to rest for a second.

But it wasn’t long before you woke up once more.

You still feel horrible for the way your friends had to deal with your distressed state, their reassurance never-ending as you would try to convince them that you were innocent— and would try to convince yourself that you didn’t see Soobin every time you close your eyes.

By the third day, it became a routine— the two boys would take turns sleeping next to you as they comforted you all night.

It was under the covers where Beomgyu would sneak his kisses— peppering them all over your face as he promised you that you were safe, that nothing would ever come to hurt you— that it wasn’t your fault.

Those seemed to be the only times where you truly believed his words; his hold on you was so secure, his lips soft and filled with such love and adoration as he failed to keep his hands off you, your body indulging in this new type of distraction, mind racing with possibilities the longer you felt his touch.

But you never caved in— much to both of your disappointment.

By the end of the first week, you almost felt yourself getting a bit better; the nightmares weren’t as strong anymore, and you felt your appetite returning for the first time in a while.

You found solace in the cookbooks that had been collecting dust in the kitchen— “they were my mother’s,” Beomgyu had told you, the solemn look on his face as he stared at the books preventing you from prying more about his family. You no longer had your phone; it was long forgotten back at your old home, the two boys reassuring you that having your phone would only stress you out more— and you wholeheartedly agreed. You couldn’t even bring yourself to watch the news channel, much too afraid of what you might find as you opted to watch random shows instead, spending your time cooped up inside as the fall air around you grew colder.

That’s how you spent your days— going from cookbook to cookbook, trying out new recipes as you lost yourself in this new comfort.

The boys still had to go on with their lives; much to your discomfort, they would leave you sometimes, whether that be to attend classes or go to their new jobs in the town nearby. “We can’t let them suspect us,” they would remind you as you would cling to them, begging them to stay as they tried with little effort to pry you off— sometimes they would allow you to try to convince them, the sight of you begging and needy just too cute for them to ignore.

But you? You had been dead to the world for months. Your disappearance would be nothing new; if anything, the two men assured you that they made an excuse for you.

“Here,” Yeonjun said one day, handing you something you hadn’t expected— your phone. “Your parents keep asking me about you because you haven’t talked to them in a while. You should call them.”

It was embarrassing, the way you panicked at the prospect of talking to someone who wasn’t them— someone who didn’t know of the horrible thing you had done.

“What do I say!” You asked, exasperated as your finger hovered over your mother’s contact, “what have you told them?”

“That you’ve been busy, mostly,” he explains, leaning against the counter as he glances down into the oven— you were in the process of making muffins before he interrupted you.

“Just tell them you’re alright,” Yeonjun says, gently taking the phone from your hands before he called the number for you; you gasped, stiffening up as the sound of ringing filled the room, “maybe even tell her you won’t be using your phone much anymore.”

There was no way your mom would be convinced by that— right? Biting your lip with uncertainty, you can already feel your mind flooding with many different lies you could tell your parents; anything to get them off your back. If they were to continue looking for you, you’re sure they would be able to spot the guilt all over your face immediately.

What would they think of you? Your family would be so disappointed; their child, a killer. Even if you spent day after day convincing yourself otherwise, you knew that your parents wouldn’t see you in any other light— and that’s why your voice shook as you spoke with your mother.

“I’m okay,” you say, huddled up in the corner as you lean against the counter, biting your nail nervously, “just been busy.”

“I know that you don’t really visit us often, but even this is a bit much,” your mother sighs, and you can hear the commotion of her cooking on the line, “why haven’t you called? I heard about the awful disappearance that happened in your town, I was so worried when I heard about it. Are you okay? Is something going on—?”

“I moved!” You blurt out, eyes widening as you look at Yeonjun, his face as equally as surprised as your own. “That’s why I’ve been so busy…”

You’re not sure why you did that; you panicked, surely. But the regret from saying that sinks into you immediately as you hear your mother’s excited chatter on the other line, your head spinning from its attempts to keep up with her.

“Ohh, I should come to visit then! It’d be so nice, I’ve never really liked that old apartment of yours, it was so secluded. Especially now with that boy that went—“

“Please don’t visit— yet…” you try your best to seem casual as you reject her, her questioning growing tenfold as she begins asking why, “I’m not done setting up! I want you to see it once it’s done. This was supposed to be a surprise.”

Her apologetic voice is heard through the phone, and Yeonjun watches with amusement as you stumble over your words, reassuring her that it was okay, that you’d let her visit soon.

“My service is really bad here though,” you say, sending Yeonjun a glare as he chuckles at your words, “so if I don’t talk to you for a while… that’s why. I haven’t been using my phone much anyways.”

It’s endearing, watching the way you try to insist that you’re not making excuses— even if you actually are. But Yeonjun knows that if your parents were to come and visit one day, you would be quick to give in and tell them everything— and he really can’t have that happening. So he gestures to you to wrap it up, pointing to the muffins as you jump in surprise, seeing that the timer is about to run out. Your voice is meek as you say goodbye to your mother, wishing her the best as you try to not choke up— you’re not sure when you’ll talk to her again without the fear of your guilt making you slip up clouding your mind.

And as you hand your phone back to Yeonjun, telling him that you “really don’t need it,” you try to avoid his gaze as much as you can, focusing more on the muffins before you as you hold back tears.

Yeonjun smiles, watching you as you slowly take the hot tray out of the oven. He can tell that it hurts you to be isolated so much, but the darker, greedier part of him is happy to see how easily you cut ties with everyone.

It was certain now— no one would come looking for you.

-♡♡♡-

He’s there.

In the corner of your room, watching you with blank eyes— you swear he’s there. You’re shaking like a leaf as you back up in your bed, eyes widening as he steps into the light— Soobin smiles down gently at you.

“My lovely,” he says, in that same voice he would use whenever he would tell you to rest during your breaks; the same voice he used to win you over, even if it was just for a moment.

“How could you?” He asks, and you’re frantically getting out of bed as he takes a step forward— you fall, your feet entangled in the sheets as you’re tripped. The air is practically knocked out of your lungs, but you don’t care much as he rounds over to where you are, his lips turned to a pout as he rubs the back of his head.

“Why would you do this to me?”

His hand comes around, and you gasp as you look at the red substance that coats him— blood. It streams endlessly out of him, you realize, leaving a trail behind him as he attempts to reach out to you.

“No no no no,” you gasp, crawling back as you stumble to your feet, bolting out the door. You can hear Soobin calling out for you, the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the house as you try to figure out what to do. Soobin is dead, you know that much— so what was it that you were seeing now?

You can’t hide— you’ll be a sitting duck. You can’t run; you’ve never stepped a foot out of this house, never going as far as the backyard where the cliff was— the only thing around you for miles was a thick forest; You didn’t even know how to get to the nearby town.

You were stuck.

“Please,” you cry, your voice breaking as you watch Soobin finally appear at the entrance of the kitchen. You grab a knife, unsure of what else to do as you watch him closely. His eyes are looking at you, yet they’re oddly empty. He looks like a shell of a person, skin pale and veins peeking through as if he were translucent. His hair is matted and the trail of blood continues, like an endless stream.

“I didn’t mean to,” you say, holding out your knife in threat as he takes a slow step towards you, “please, leave me alone!”

He freezes, and you can’t help yourself as you shut your eyes, your head pounding harshly against your skull as the same fear as before enters your system. Taking a shaky breath, you open your eyes, surprised when you find no one there— not even the trail of blood.

“My lovely.”

Shrieking, you drop the knife, making a run for it as Soobin’s voice appears right beside you— you practically collapse in relief as you notice Yeonjun entering through the front door.

“Jun!” You yell out, rushing into his arms as he takes in your broken expression. You refuse to let go, nuzzling your face deep into your chest as you wet his sweater, “please, make him go away!”

Your words are unsettling— him? A glance around the house tells him that there’s no one else here, but he knows that you think otherwise.

“But there’s no one here,” Yeonjun gently says, pulling you away as he forces you to turn around, firm hands on your shoulders as he whispers for you to open your eyes. “See?”

Cautiously, you open your eyes— only to spot Soobin in the kitchen, leaning on the counter as he stares at you with a blank expression.

“Jun!” You cry out, and you can feel yourself slipping away as you cling onto him roughly, your mind doing its best to help you cope. You’re pulling him back, face still buried in his chest as you’re directing him towards the couch, walking backward until your knees collide with the furniture. Pulling him down with you, you ignore the sound of surprise that leaves him as he towers over you, arms on each side of your head as he tries to not fall on top of you.

You thought you were doing better— you all did, your restless nights ceasing as you were finally starting to find yourself again. But it all seemed to go down the drain, the sight of Soobin staring at you much too realistic as you shut your eyes again.

“Please make him go away,” you beg, pulling Yeonjun closer to you, his body obscuring your view as the sight of Soobin goes away— yet you can still hear him, the sounds of his disapproval reaching your ears as you shake your head uselessly.

“Make him go away?” Yeonjun asks, cupping your face as he leans closer to you. You look so fragile, and he hopes you can’t feel how quickly his heart is pounding as you continue to grab onto his sweater, “how?”

How?

Yeonjun can’t see what you see— that much is clear. What you need now is a distraction, your mind involuntarily going back to the nights spent with Beomgyu, nights where his arms wrapped around you and the feeling of his lips on yours was enough.

But Beomgyu wasn’t here.

Instead, you stare up at Yeonjun, observing him as you feel your heart slowly pumping faster— his pouty lips, his piercing eyes that stare down at you with such care and love that you wished you had realized it sooner.

He was always there for you— when you were sick, through your bad relationships, always there to care for you and pick you back up when things didn’t go right— he saved you.

You think of that night, of the way Yeonjun had been quick to jump at Soobin the second he noticed the man coming towards you. All those times when he put you first, spending time with you and caring for you in ways no one else could. Even now, as he waited for you to give him an answer, you knew that he’d follow your every command because he loved you.

The realization makes your head spin.

You feel vulnerable again, your mind on autopilot as you tug him closer— then closer, your lips brushing against his as you feel the way your brain begs for comfort, for someone to take care of you and protect you.

Recklessly, you pull him in, lips crashing against his and teeth knocking together as you grip his sweater, hoping he doesn’t notice the violent shake of your hands or the way your eyes are shut tight with fear.

In the corner of the room, you can still hear him, hear his protests and whines as you kiss the man before you, attempting to get him out of his shocked state as you carefully thread your fingers through his hair. And that seems to do it, and you feel Yeonjun jump into action as he places a hand on your waist, the other coming to place itself on the back of your head, pulling you deeper into his body.

You feel so small against him— you curl up against him, your frame clinging to him as he feels you still shake with fear.

“What do you see, baby?” He whispers against your lips, hands roaming over your body wildly as he attempts to hold himself back; but he can’t, years of standing to the side and waiting patiently manifesting itself into this desperate mess, a gross part of him hoping desperately that you’re vulnerable enough to give yourself to him.

You’re seeking protection from him— he knows this, and he was well aware of the different ways Beomgyu helped you cope; the jealousy that burned inside him lighting up once more as he pulled away, looking at your pretty lips and shining eyes that never seem to run out of tears.

“Soobin,” your voice is weak, trembling as you mention the man’s name, as if saying it out loud would bring him back to life. You’re traumatized, the memory of killing him still so fresh in your mind that your guilt has manifested itself in a new form; hallucinations.

“He’s not real darling,” the pet names slip from him effortlessly, and it takes him a second as he almost slips up, the term “my lovely” almost escaping him— who knows what kind of reaction you would have had to that.

“But I am,” carefully, he places your hand atop his heart, allowing you to feel the rapid beating that comes from his chest. He watches the way you stare at him, clearly avoiding a certain corner of the house as you sniffle softly. “It’s okay. It’s just us.”

“Make him leave,” you whisper, and he leans towards you, angling his body so it covers the spot you seemed to keep avoiding. He watches as you relax a bit, your hand pressing firmly on his chest as you focus on his beating heart instead. “Distract me.”

“Distract you?” He echoes, placing soft kisses all along your face— tracing along your cheeks, going up to your forehead, and down the bridge of your nose as he stops at your Cupid’s bow, unable to hide his smile at the way you whimper softly.

“How do I do that?”

It’s strange— you’ve never felt like this before; you’ve never thought of Yeonjun like this. But you need him now more than ever, your muddled mind seeking protection that he’s more than happy to offer to you; your stomach flutters with every brush of his lips against yours, and you can’t help the way your thighs squeeze tightly, the teasing laugh he gives you doing nothing to help the sensation.

“Please….” You whine, your hand that remained entangled in his blonde hair slowly tracing down, dipping shyly at his sweater as you felt the warmth of his skin underneath. “Touch me.”

Yeonjun has never had a harder time holding back.

His lips are back on yours, pulling you in so close to the point where you forget where he ends and you begin. The kiss is desperate and messy, the pace he sets for you hard to keep up with as you let him guide you; he’s biting softly at your lips, tongue tracing along them as he allows himself to tease you. You’re a mess, falling apart in his hold as you wrap your arms around his shoulders, shivering at the way you feel his hands play with the hem of your sweater.

“You’re perfect,” he mumbles, forced to pull away for air as he takes in your face; your wide eyes, lips swollen and shiny as you pant, unable to look away from him as you find yourself pulling him in for more.

He’s addicted, pulling at your clothes as you allow him to undress you, eyes hungry as he takes everything in— you only seem to grow needier by the second, allow him to lay you on the couch as you stare up at him in anticipation.

Then Soobin appears again.

“Junnie,” you whimper, slapping your hands over your eyes at the horrible sight— Soobin smiled at you, turning his head as he allowed you to see the damage you had done to him; the wound in his head so graphic that your stomach lurched with fear instead of pleasure.

Yeonjun picks up on your distraught state immediately— hovering over you, he gently pries your hands away, kissing your face softly as he encourages you to open your eyes; the sight of Yeonjun’s comforting smile is all you’re met with.

“Come here,” he says, putting your sweater back on as he helps you stand— you don’t say much, allowing him to lead you away from the living room as you keep your face buried in Yeonjun’s arm— Soobin’s light whispers follow you from a distance.

It isn’t until you’re laying back in bed that you finally summon the courage to look at him, the weight on the bed disappearing as you watch him search for something in his closet; he turns back around, a scarf in his hands as he smiles at you.

“Do you trust me?”

You flushed in realization at his words, taking a second to think about it— but you gave in, watching the way his eyes darkened, your body shivering as he took slow steps towards you; the room finally fell silent. Gently, he takes your sweater off— you feel shy under his gaze, his eyes so intense as he takes you in once more, sweeping down to look at the shorts you wore; the same shorts that always tempted him, bunched at your thighs innocently.

Brushing your hair back, he plants a gentle kiss on your head, bringing the thin fabric up as he finally covers your eyes— it’s tight enough so that it won’t slip off, your vision taken away as the sounds around you are all that’s left.

You listen to the wind outside— the leaves that rustle, the sounds of the heater turning on as the room is slowly flooded with warmth. But most importantly, you pay attention to Yeonjun, on edge as you listen to his soft breaths— you’re not sure how close he is now, or what he might be doing as you wait patiently.

Goosebumps rise along your skin— Yeonjun gently caresses your arm. Slowly, he takes your hand, bringing it up until you feel the softness of his lips press along your skin, giving you a soft kiss. Then another. And another, trailing up your arm as you shiver, the feeling of his breath on your skin and the addicting feeling of his lips making you reach out to grab something— you jump as you feel his hand encase yours, fingers lacing as he keeps it close to him.

His hair brushes along your cheek— the hot trail his tongue leaves on your neck draws out a small whine from you, his actions mischievous as his teeth bite at you teasingly, lips sucking as he takes note of what makes you squirm under him.

You’re leaning back, your body coming in contact with the mattress as your legs are left hanging, the feeling of Yeonjun gently prying your thighs apart as he stands between them making you tense.

In the dark corners of your mind, you hear him again— hear his complaints, his insults, and questions that attempt to draw back the guilt that threatens to ruin you— but you refuse to give in.

“Yeonjun,” your whine is immediately silenced, Yeonjun’s breath fanning across your face as his pouty lips graze yours. He understands what you want to tell him, but he won’t let you dwell on it any longer as his fingertips play with the waistband of your shorts, his head dipping into the valley of your breasts as he leaves a trail of kisses.

“Think of me,” he says, hushing your cries as he slowly pulls down your shorts, your panties being dragged along with them as the material brushes against your skin, unable to stop the way you shift nervously.

His hands are running along your thighs— they’re soft and warm, your hips jumping as you feel his breath fan on your stomach, a teasing kiss left just above your mound before you feel him trail down more.

“Think only of me.”

Yeonjun’s tongue is hot against your pussy— he’s licking a stipe along your folds, circling your clit teasingly as an unabashed moan escapes him; the sound of your own follows shortly. You’re like his own ambrosia, addicting and sweet as he doesn’t bother slowing down for you— why would he, when you’re taking him so well?

The image of Yeonjun in between your thighs is all you can think about. The sound of his moans and the depraved wetness that escapes you is all you can hear, your mind filled with nothing but Yeonjun as his lips encase your clit, sucking softly as his tongue licks over the bundle of nerves.

You can think only of him.

Without realizing it, your hands fly down to grip his hair, hips jumping up as you push his face against you harder— his nose bumps against your clit, a groan escaping him as he lets you ride his tongue the way you please. His hair brushes against your inner thighs, the ticklish sensation only making you more sensitive as you feel his tongue lap at you; taking everything you provide him, sucking at your pussy like a starved man.

He’s eager to hear the sounds you make, amused at the way your thighs clamp against his head at the stimulation. It’s dirty, his saliva mixing with your arousal as the wet sounds of your cunt fill the room, his eagerness to bring you to your high evident in his actions. His tongue teases at your entrance, his fingers circling your clit slowly as you whine for more. With a gasp, you throw your head back as he finally breaches inside, nose rubbing against your pussy as he loses himself in you.

You then feel a kiss along the valley of your breasts.

“Did I scare you, darling?”

You can only let out a depraved whine as you recognize the voice, clenching around Yeonjun’s tongue as the realization that Beomgyu has been watching dawns on you. With one hand still laced deeply in Yeonjun’s hair, the other reaches out blindly towards the sound of Beomgyu’s voice, landing hesitantly on his cheek. He chuckles, placing his hand on top of yours as he turns to kiss your palm, his other hand running down your body slowly; you shiver, feeling his nails scratching gently along your skin, stopping just at your naval.

You hear Beomgyu hum in approval, your body burning as you feel the coil in your stomach grow tighter. Beomgyu is above you, and you can feel the mattress dip as Beomgyu hovers over your lips, his voice quiet and dangerous as he speaks to you.

“What’s wrong, darling?” He asks, taking in the way you moan as you feel his hand continue to travel— beginning to rub at your clit as Yeonjun continues to fuck you with his tongue. The pad of his fingers are rough, but it’s nothing you can bring yourself to care about as he traps your bottom lip in his teeth, pulling softly as he chuckles meanly at you.

“Were my kisses not enough? Does our needy baby want more?”

You’re nodding along to his words, hips riding against Yeonjun’s face as your grip on his hair tightens more— he hisses, the sting in his scalp doing nothing to hinder his actions as his hands find purchase on your hips; his nails dig into the plush skin, pulling you against him more as he enjoys the surprised yelp you let out.

“Greedy girl, not being able to live without us,” Beomgyu says, his breath ticklish against your neck as he continues to tease you. His mouth is slowly trailing down, leaving kisses and sucking softly as a trail of marks is left behind— the thought of making you his plagues him.

“What would you do without us?” He asks, watching the way you shake under him— he can tell your mind isn’t truly there, your voice becoming louder as the coil in your stomach tightens; you’re dangerously close, the man’s words only bringing you more to the edge.

“You need us.”

Your mind blanks, mouth falling open as the coil finally snaps— his words echo in your head, your brain dumbly agreeing with him as you ride out your orgasm, the feeling of Yeonjun’s tongue cleaning you up making you cry out softly.

“Tastes so good, you’re perfect,” Yeonjun says, his voice suddenly closer as his hands remain at your waist affectionately. Before you can react, his lips are against yours, tongue prying you open as you taste yourself, the kiss harsh and messy as you feel drool begin to gather along the corners of your lips.

Beomgyu seems quick to catch onto your stupefied state—you’re vulnerable, the result of your restless mind forcing you to find comfort in whatever you could as the guilt continues to eat you from the inside; without them there to distract you, you’d fall apart.

“I need you,” you whimper quietly, your mind straying as you feel the reality of your situation beginning to creep up on you once more; you push it away, sinking deeper into this vulnerable state of yours as you seek to rely on their touch to lead you to somewhere so, so much better.

Your words are like music to their ears— it takes all their willpower to not lose control and fuck you senseless— because for once, you are coming to them. You’re the one begging desperately for their attention.

Your thighs are quickly pushed apart; you’re not sure who it is that’s positioned in between your legs, your hands reaching out uncertainty before they’re locked together, raised above your head and pinned by another set of hands— the room is silent, save for the pleasured sighs and gasps that leave your lips.

They’re teasing you. The realization strikes you as you feel fingers teasing along your entrance, stretching you open once more as they wait for you to break and beg for more— you’re not entirely sure of who it might be.

His hands are rough— grabbing your hips with a tight grip, cock head poking at your entrance teasingly as he barely pushes in, thrusting inside just enough to feel you squeeze around him before he’s pulling back out— it barely takes a second before you’re crying for him to stop with the teasing.

His hips move like water; rolling into yours, exploring how you feel as he bottoms out, a small groan escaping him as you piece together who’s above you— Yeonjun. His hands are smooth and soft as they grip onto your skin, panting breaths fanning above you as you feel the way he struggles to remain patient, your soft whines and the tight way you squeeze around him driving him mad.

“Yeonjun.”

His patience breaks.

He’s fucking you deliciously, hips snapping against yours as you feel the weight of his arms cage your head, the bed dipping in as reckless moans and groans leave his mouth. You’re no better than him, calling out his name as you wish to touch him, legs wrapping around his waist as you’re pulling him in, pushing him in deeper as your hips begin to move on their own accord.

You’re better than any dream he’s had; any fantasy, the nights where he could only think of making you his, wanting to bend you over the counter whenever he watched you cook— all those dirty thoughts that plagued him with guilt, all those times where he felt disgusting after he could only come from dreaming of the day he would fuck the obliviousness out of you— nothing compared to this.

You lay under him, flushed and sweaty as your mouth hung open, lips bruised and bitten at as drool slightly escaped you— you were too fucked out to care or notice. Unable to resist himself, he leans down, capturing your lips once more as he feels the way you squeeze around him, pulling him in more as your body begins to become more sensitive to him— the feeling bringing out another groan from him.

It feels warm— Yeonjun’s breath on your neck as he slowly grinds into you, a breathless whimper the only thing you can muster as you feel your body tighten up, waves of pleasure crashing onto your as you clench on his cock; the feeling of him grinding against you, his hot cum spurting inside you makes you dizzy for a second.

He’s off of you instantly. You’re left in confusion, twitching pathetically as shocks of pleasure continue to ignite inside you— then, you’re being filled again.

“That was so mean of you,” Beomgyu pouts, leisurely thrusting against you as he listens to your cries; he’s not as long as Yeonjun, but he’s girthier, the stretch catching you by surprise as your walls clench around him. It’s messy, the room filling with wet sounds as Beomgyu continues to fuck Yeonjun’s cum into you, grinning wolfishly at the way you squirm under his ministrations. He leans down so he’s in front of your face, nose rubbing against yours as he speaks quietly.

“Making me watch another man fuck you,” his voice is low and cruel, his fingers finding your clit as you jump at the with stimulation— Yeonjun has your hands clasped tightly in his now, watching with amusement as you attempt to break free from his hold, only to hold on to him desperately in the end.

“You can take what I give you, right?”

Beomgyu’s pace is brutal. His finger rubbed in circles on your clit, hips snapping against yours as he drinks in the way your overstimulated cunt still seems to beg for more; as he drinks in your desperate calls of his name.

It’s insane, the way cum is leaking out of you as Beomgyu’s hips stutter, the feeling of him finishing inside of you bringing you to your climax soon after; you’re shaking, a fucked out mess as you cry out Beomgyu’s name, the said man pulling you in for a slow kiss as his hips press deeply against yours.

“Good girl. You’re perfect.”

Praise leaves their lips like a constant waterfall— it’s like they worship you.

Your mind panics for a second, getting reminded of the sick content of your letters— of the endless praise, the way you were described as a god in their eyes. But even if the thought is alarming, you’re too weak to do anything, your body limp as you have no other choice but to trust the two men to take care of you— the blindfold comes off slowly.

A wet rag is swiped across your legs, cleaning up the sticky mess of cum that continues to leak through— slowly, you open your eyes, coming face to face with the man you’ve considered a friend for half your life— Yeonjun smiles at you.

And your heart flutters.

You’re not sure how you’ll deal with these newfound feelings— especially when they can’t seem to keep their lips off yours for even a second, seemingly not minding the fact that they’ll have to share you. It’s overwhelming, but your tired body and stressed mind don’t want to dwell on it— you’d much rather focus on the way they treat you like a gem, coddling you as they help you fall asleep.

You sleep perfectly throughout the whole night, protected from all danger in the safety of their arms.

-♡♡♡-

It’s not fun to cook the same dishes over and over.

You’ve seen everything on television— your room feels so stuffy, and the books that the boys acquired are not interesting at all to you as you spend your days staring out the window, at the winter scenery and the mountain that separates you and the rest of the world.

It’s such a quaint town in the distance.

What are the people that live there like? Are they friendly, or were they more reserved? Did they have a strong sense of community? Were they kept up with current events? How far would you have to walk to get there?

“You don’t deserve to leave this place,” the same voice as always spits out, venom laced deeply in its tone as it mixes with the deep self-hatred you’ve come to acquire for yourself, “Killer.”

It’s like Soobin never died— if anything, he simply returned to haunt you, the visions of him appearing randomly as his voice rings out in your head; sometimes, if you were feeling extra guilty, he would appear in his cute and proper uniform, ever the gentleman as he reminded you of how good he was to you before you discovered the truth— of how caring he had been.

“Did you ever hear me admit to it?” His phantom would ask, tilting his head cutely at you as you would try to ignore him, stirring the mixture in your hands with more force, “don’t you ever wonder what I was trying to tell you? You’re so cruel.”

He wasn’t real. Those three words repeated themselves like a prayer in your mind every day, unable to even look up from what you were doing the moment you would hear his voice— it was like he froze you, the guilt and fear piercing as you remembered what it felt to strike him against the head, the memory of your floor being stained with blood seared into your mind.

You looked out the window whenever Soobin would appear.

In your mind, you weren’t in an isolated cabin, on the run as you avoided being seen as a killer— by your friends, by your family, everyone. No, instead of being trapped here, you were in a new town, free to explore and wander as you took in the sights, the winter chill creeping around as you took breaks in a coffee shop, drinking warm drinks as you stared outside— maybe even at the falling snow.

You glance at the time.

Yeonjun and Beomgyu would be in their classes right now— they wouldn’t be back for a few hours.

A trip down there couldn’t possibly be that long, right?

You’ve never brought up the idea of visiting the nearby town to them— much less on your own. But you can’t help the excitement that bubbles inside you, slipping on a warm winter jacket as you put on some boots— it had snowed a bit a couple of nights before.

“You don’t deserve to be happy,” Soobin sneers, the pure manifestation of your guilt as he appears behind you in the mirror. You avert your gaze, staring down at your feet as you say nothing— the sounds of his footsteps follow you to the entrance.

“They’ll realize it’s you,” he whispers, suddenly closer than he was before as you slip on your shoes, grabbing a mask for safety precautions— you’re shaky, unable to tie your laces as you attempt to block him out, “they’ll find out you’re a killer on the run.”

“I’m not a killer,” you whisper firmly to yourself, remembering the pain and fear he caused you— he ruined your life; you simply returned the favor. Opening the door, you inhale the frosty air entering your lungs as you block out Soobin’s cruel whispers. Exhaling, you close your eyes, stepping out as you feel the crunch of the snow under your feet.

“I’m not.”

-♡♡♡-

Okay, you think to yourself, hands clammy and stuffed in your pockets as you glance around your environment, throat drying from anxiety, this was a horrible idea.

Why did you think this was actually a good idea? Huffing, you watch your breath come out in a smokey fog, your body shaking as the air gets colder— you tried to follow the path that seemed to go down to the city, but at some point, it just… disappeared.

You’d think that with the way the two boys would go to and from with ease that a clear road would be put in place. But you were proved wrong, the many faded dirt trails leaving you to stand still with uncertainty as you wonder if you should just go back instead; if you knew where you came from, that is.

Maybe it was the way time bled together at this point, days dripping into weeks like molasses as you found it harder to concentrate on your surroundings, your brain going on autopilot as you daydreamed instead— and it seemed like this was one of those times.

Did you take a turn? You’re surrounded by nothing but trees, compact and looming over you as they hide the sun, the last rays of light peeking through the leaves and branches as a way to warn you to pick your path and go; maybe you would make it home okay.

Hastily, you turn around, assuming that you were making your way back in the direction you came in; your steps are hesitant as you take in the vast scenery in front of you. Moments later, you see your cabin in the distance— a very far distance. Gulping, you begin to shake as you see how dark the night has become; the idea of walking alone in such a secluded forest makes you shake.

This was a bad, bad idea.

Oh god, you think, anxiety flooding you cruelly as you begin to panic, why would you do something like this?

You should’ve just stayed at home with the boys— it’s the only place where you’re truly safe.

Shifting nervously, you begin to pace back and forth, biting at your lips as you try to find the courage to keep walking— but you simply can’t. It’s like you’re stuck in place, not wanting to venture further in fear of what you might encounter. Just when you begin to doubt whether you’re going in the right direction, you hear the sharp call of your name, freezing involuntarily as harsh footsteps make their way to you.

“___!”

Beomgyu grabs your arm roughly. Shocked, you attempt to pull away, only to be pulled closer as you quickly find Yeonjun next to him, staring down at you with an unfamiliar look— anger? Disapproval? Panic? You shiver, eyes flicking nervously between the two as they pull you along the dirt path.

“You had us so worried!” Beomgyu says, pulling you along in a panic— you realize that Yeonjun’s car is parked right there, bright headlights on and the doors left ajar as they lead you inside. You’re caught off guard by the sheer force they use on you, stumbling on the road as you land unceremoniously on the leather seat of the car. Clearing your throat, you attempt to apologize, but are quickly shut down as Yeonjun sends you a sharp look.

“You disappeared without a trace!” Yeonjun says, brows furrowed as he turned in the seat to look at you, “You were gone for hours! Didn’t even leave a single note! How could you?”

Your stomach lurches involuntarily.

“I just— I don’t know what I was thinking,” you feel small, the fear of being lost finally sinking in under the pressure of their sharp glares, “I wanted to go visit the town nearby.”

It feels stupid to say it out loud— even more so when they shoot you an incredulous look, locking the doors as they make their way along the path; you notice that you were about to go down the wrong one.

“The town? Are you crazy?” It hurts to hear Yeonjun say that to you, especially with the way rage seems to seep off his tone. You had him worried, afraid that you had been trying to escape— only to find out that you had become a bit too open to the thought of moving on with your life. “Remember why we’re here, ___.”

His words feel like a stab through your heart.

“Remember why you’re here,” Soobin’s voice whispers lowly to you, the trees all a blur as the road before you becomes unrecognizable— you still have no idea how to get back to your cabin, let alone leave it.

You dragged them into this, your mind tells you, blocking out the sounds of their worried scoldings— you’re not sure if you can handle more reminders of your situation— they’re just trying to protect you.

But it’s a headache, spending day after day cooped up in the cabin, the place you once saw as a sanctuary quickly becoming no better than a prison; you simply wished for nothing more than to spend a day feeling normal, as you had once before.

It isn’t long before you’re pulling into the cabin’s driveway, the tight hold that Beomgyu and Yeonjun have on each of your elbows almost reminding you of prison guards preventing a prisoner from escaping.

-♡♡♡-

“She looks so cute when she’s concentrating.”

Yeonjun hums in agreement, peeking over Beomgyu’s computer to watch the way you carefully decorate your cupcakes, a frown overtaking your face from time to time— it’s cute to watch you talk to yourself, pacing around the kitchen as if you were arguing with someone.

“I didn’t think his death would take such a toll on her,” Yeonjun comments, observing the way you clap your hands over your ears, eyes shut tight as you shake your head in denial, quickly stalking out of the kitchen and running back to your room— their hearts flutter sickly as they notice the way you curl up, the plushies they got you pressed tightly against your chest.

“She must be feeling so guilty,” Beomgyu breathes out, in awe at the way you nuzzle tiredly into his pillow, “such an angel.”

Watching you carefully, he wishes nothing more than to comfort you and fuck you stupid while you hug your stuffed animal for support— but he pushes the thought aside, looking away from the scene and at the television that was currently on the news channel.

Any search for Soobin had died down; with no evidence of his whereabouts, the police investigation quickly dwindled until it was no more— it was satisfying to watch the way the boy’s name slowly faded from everyone’s mouths, from everyone’s mind.

Soobin’s body currently resided in the woods by the cabin, decomposed and disfigured beyond recognition— Beomgyu watched with bored eyes as Yeonjun followed his every instruction the day it happened, the ugly scar on his skin and stitches he needed from the wound only adding more to the satisfaction of it all. It gave the two a sick sense of pleasure, knowing just how easily they were able to sabotage your life, turning it upside down in a matter of months as you learned to rely solely on them— as your heart turned to them for comfort.

Your little surge of courage brought about a realization between the two; one wrong move and everything falls apart. If you had been trying to escape that night they found you in the woods, they’re not sure what they would succumb to in order of keeping you with them— safe and sound, of course.

So, in favor of keeping an eye on you again, they installed cameras in the cabin while you were sleeping— so while they were away, making sure that no one would catch onto the way the two men no longer lived at their old town the moment Soobin disappeared, they could still keep a close eye on you.

Just to make sure you wouldn’t attempt anything stupid like that again— they didn’t want to lose you.

-♡♡♡-

The front door is mocking you. These windows are nothing but a pretty decoration— you’re like a bird in a cage, forbidden to go outside and be part of a normal world once more.

You’re not dumb— they’re watching you.

It was strange, the way your fear soon transformed into rage, angry at the way they were allowed to live their lives while you were forced to disappear from the face of the Earth— the cameras they set up only served as a further way to degrade you.

You’re not sure when you first noticed them— maybe it was instinct, glancing up to the high kitchen cabinets, looking past all the clutter and into the dark corner; straight into the lens of a camera. You’re sure this has to do with your attempt to leave days ago, because the very next day, you were told sternly by the two boys that you should never leave this cabin— under no circumstances.

At first, you justified it as them being afraid that you would leave again, getting lost and being left in the woods alone and in danger; another measure put in to protect you.

But it didn’t take long before you began to resent them— how dare they leave you alone every day, allowing themselves to indulge in the last bits of normalcy they had while you rotted in this cabin? Was it any better than being discovered as Soobin’s killer? All activities you once did to make the time pass quickly became a joke to you; it was like you were a child, being kept complacent while they left to live their lives as they pleased.

“Look at you, so ungrateful,” Soobin would mock you, the grotesque scene of his injured figure still accompanying you in your daily life as you were forced to cope with it on your own— another thing you would begin to resent the two boys for, “turning against the people who help you— what, will you kill them too?”

You would never do that.

Instead, you hid.

You hid from their sight throughout the few hours they decided to come back to you, annoying them to no end as you refused to make even a sound— not even their cameras could help them now, learning their blind spots as you snuck around.

“___!” Beomgyu’s frustration was evident in his voice, the light of every room in the cabin turning on as he continued his search for you— Yeonjun wandered outside, phone flashlight aiming around as he looked for a hint of where you might be. They knew you did this to spite them, your petty actions annoying them to no end as they tried to explain to you repeatedly that everything they did was for your own good— that everything would be back to normal soon.

But how long would that be? You’re not sure how much time has passed, your mind spiraled too long ago to keep track. Watching the two boys numbly from afar, hands shoved in your winter coat as you hide in behind the trees, your eyes narrowed as you listen to their desperate calls for your name.

“___, what are you doing there?” Yeonjun’s voice is defeated as the bright light of his phone is aimed directly at you, watching tiredly as you flinch under the sudden spotlight. It isn’t long before you’re being dragged back inside, your protests and pouts falling on deaf ears as the warmth of the cabin hits you full force.

“Can’t you see? All I want is to feel like a normal human being again! It’s like you’re holding me hostage here!” Your complaints quickly go quiet as you take in the way Beomgyu looks at you, leaning against the kitchen counter as his arms are crossed over his chest— he’s holding something, but you’re unsure of what it is as it’s tucked underneath his arm. It’s his stare that silences you— dangerous, a calm rage as he takes in what you just said with a slow nod.

“Everything we do is for you,” Beomgyu says quietly, your throat drying as you take in the way they both practically glare at you— they’re sick of you playing games with them, avoiding them despite their efforts to keep you safe, to keep you as theirs.

“Do you think it’s easy to leave you here alone? Hmm? To think that someone might catch on and figure out just who,” Beomgyu tilts his head, brows rising as he watches the way your lips quiver at the anticipation of his words, “Killed Soobin?”

“You know I never meant to—“

“Of course,” It’s Yeonjun that speaks this time, gaze cold as you meet his eyes, face devoid of any emotion as he gives you a light push towards Beomgyu, “but it happened anyway.”

It happened anyway.

Beomgyu straightens up, your gaze weary as you watch him drop his hands to his sides— a collar is revealed.

Your stomach twists in alarm at the sight, attempting to take a step back before you’re colliding with Yeonjun’s chest— looking back, he simply raises a brow as you, a mocking twitch of his lips all he shows before he’s snaking his arms around your own, pressing them down at your sides— you’re trapped flush against him.

“If you didn’t want to be alone, that’s all you had to say,” Beomgyu says quietly, eyes lidded as he slips the collar around your neck— it’s a simple silver band with a small ball hanging from it, the metal cold against your skin, your eyes widening as you hear a snap at the back— you realize with horror that he locked it— the mischievous smile he gives you only confirms your suspicions, followed by the special key that’s dangles mockingly in your face.

“One of us will stay with you darling,” Beomgyu grins, and you can’t hide the way his words only serve to enrage you, the peck he places on your lips doing nothing to wash away the humiliation you feel.

You’re walking away the moment Yeonjun lets go of you, only to come to a horrible realization as you tug uselessly at your collar. It wasn’t a ball hanging from your necklace— it was a bell.

Cooped up in your room for the rest of the night, you realize miserably that you’ve become nothing more than a pet to them, the decoration around your neck serving as a way for them to keep track of your whereabouts. It jingles as you shift restlessly on your bed, anger lighting in your veins as you begin to resent them for their behavior.

But unfortunately for them, you’ve only just begun to fight.

-♡♡♡-

Something has changed.

Since when did seeing Beomgyu resting on the couch fill you with such dread? Why do the walls around you seem to be closing in on you much more every time you look at him?

Maybe it was the fact that looking at him reminded you of the one thing you could never have again— a normal life. Because as much as he coddled you, reassuring you that everything would be okay and that no one would find out, you knew that nothing would ever go back to how it was before. It seems that your brain has finally caught up, the dense fog of fear that clouded your mind clearing up as you realize that no matter how much they told you that it was all in the past, you would never forget.

“Come here, darling.”

It was impossible to hide from them, the bell that hung delicately on your neck giving away your whereabouts with every movement you made; even when you clasped your hands tightly around it, when you remained quiet and found a new hiding spot, they always seemed to find you with ease— it began to unnerve you, keeping you on edge every time they would call for you.

Beomgyu takes your hands as you land on his lap, straddling him as your hands find themselves on his chest for support. He smiles fondly at you, his hair tickling your neck softly as he begins to trail kisses along the column of your neck, arms wrapping themselves around your waist as he pulls you in.

“You look bored,” he mumbled against your skin, noting the way you stay silent, refusing to give him a reaction as he nips softly at your neck, “we should do something about it, don’t you think?

“I want to visit the town nearby,” you blurt out, feeling the way his hands go rigid on your body. His breath that fans your skin is all you feel from him, lips withdrawn as he takes in your words, “It’s suffocating in here.”

You’ve hit a nerve, you realize, watching the way he slowly straightens up, eyes hardened as his brow quirks mockingly. Attempting to hold your ground, you don’t look away, unable to hold back the way you gulp from the tension that fills the room.

“Really? You’re still on this?” Beomgyu says, straightening up as he swiftly begins to loom over you; you shrink under his hard gaze. “I don’t think you understand, ___; there’s a reason why we don’t want you to go.”

“And why is that?” You ask, attempting to keep your voice stern as you frown at his words; it’s not working, your unfazed act falling apart the longer he looks at you. You can feel your resolve shaking, the need to back down and leave subtly itching at your mind.

“Do you really think you could handle something like that? Being surrounded by so many strangers? You can barely handle being alone.” It’s not what you expected, and it feels like a slap in the face to have him remind you of your weaknesses in such a way. Roughly, you push away from him and stand, unable to defend yourself as he watches quietly— the worst part is that he’s right. How could you handle going to public places when months ago you could barely step out your front door? Your brain still feels like it’s in danger, constantly on edge and only getting worse at this new change in behavior that the two men have exhibited; but that only makes you want to leave more.

It’s sick, but Beomgyu almost begins to enjoy the way you fight back tears; he thinks you look cute as you try to seem strong, to seem as if you’re not ready to fall apart at the seams. As he watches you walk away, biting back a smile at the small jingling that comes from your every step, he knows that it won’t be long before you try to do something reckless again. But this new curiosity you’ve gained, constantly asking to go out, to leave, only gives Beomgyu more motivation to try harder.

Maybe, if you’re broken again, he can make sure that when you’re put back together, you’re perfect.

-♡♡♡-

Yeonjun has been your friend for years; surely, he’ll have a soft spot for you— right?

“Yeonjunnie,” you mumble, sneaking up behind where he sits as you rest your chin on his shoulder, peeking at his computer screen to see what he’s working on. Your voice is sweet as candy, hands wandering down his shoulders and to the expanse of his chest as you feel him tense under you. You’re whiny, calling out his name until he finally gives in to you.

“I’m so bored,” you sigh out, burrowing your face in his neck and leaning onto him as you hear the smooth rumble of his chuckles underneath you. Going around the couch, you lay down, head landing on his lap as you interrupt his work— he sighs, putting his laptop to the side before he’s looking down at you, a fond smile on his face as he plays with your hair gently.

“Well, what do you want to do?” Your clinginess is welcomed, you notice, the drastic change from your usual bratty behavior not being a rare sight. You hate to admit it, but you can’t bring yourself to hold grudges against these two when they’re all you have.

“Could we go on a walk?” You ask, eyes full of hope as you look up at him, “Just us?… Please?”

Yeonjun simply rolls his eyes at your question. You’re stumped knowing that he’s getting ready to lecture you by the way he sits up, tugging you up with him as you pout solemnly. Running a hand through his hair, he shakes his head, a disappointed sigh escaping his lips as he looks at you.

“___, what’s going on?” He says, watching the way you’re fiddling with your hands nervously. He’s irritated, the way his eyes are filled with anger unnerving you as you glance at the door behind him. “You’ve been asking Beomgyu the same thing too. Can’t you see that you can’t leave?”

“Why?” You say, standing up abruptly as Yeonjun watches you closely. You’re shifting on your feet, mind racing as you try to remember if the door is locked; you try to not make your constant glances at the door obvious.

“You keep me trapped here, I can’t even step outside for a second!” You yell, stepping back the moment Yeonjun also stands.

“It’s like you’re keeping me trapped, I—“ you pause, gulping as you take in the way Yeonjun is looking at you— it’s unfamiliar, this glint in his eye that tells you that he knows something you don’t. That even if you continue to struggle it doesn’t matter— he’s already won.

“You’re hiding something,” you whisper, palms sweaty as he tilts his head curiously at your words, “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

Yeonjun hums, his voice low as he fights back a smile.

“Where were you the night Soobin ‘disappeared’?” Yeonjun asks, his tone mocking as he speaks. Snapping, his face lightens in realization, “oh, right!”

“You were the last person who saw him. You were working with him, so of course, there will be footage of that,” he frowns, placing a hand on his chin as he pouts, “Then he went missing. As a matter of fact, you did too. Those text messages you told me about wouldn’t help your case much either.”

You shake your head, eyes widening in disbelief as it all starts to click.

“They’re looking for you, ___,” Yeonjun says, watching the way you shake your head in denial,

“Soobin’s killer.”

Your mind is muddled and panicked as you push Yeonjun with all your might, catching him off guard as you bolt to the door; the only thing on your mind is the need to leave, to get fresh air for a second.

Yeonjun is quick to go after you— but it doesn’t matter, your clammy hands manage to open the door as you bolt outside, sock-clad feet coming in contact with the snow as you run out carelessly. You can hear Yeonjun calling after you, your adrenaline only causing you to push harder as you run into the woods, attempting to lose him as you take twists and turns.

Something’s wrong. This can’t be right, why are they acting like this? The bell on your neck jingles like an alarm, slamming against your neck as you pant heavily, the cold air biting your tear-stained cheeks. You can no longer hear Yeonjun behind you, an uncertain glance finally confirming your suspicions as you allow yourself to slow down— but you don’t dare to stop.

When did this all begin? They weren’t always like this, their eagerness to keep safe and happy a genuine priority when it all happened. Your chest heaves, lungs burning and head aching as you remember the first time you tried to leave— the first time they truly got mad at you.

After that, they didn’t dare to leave your side; the collar, the cameras, the constant watching, and the overbearing feeling as they didn’t even let you step out into the backyard. Your stomach sinks, and your feet begin to sting as they become soaked with snow.

They don’t want you to leave.

But why?

You don’t know how much longer you walk, but it’s enough to make you wary and paranoid once more by the time you’re found, unable to back away from Beomgyu and Yeonjun as the cold takes your strength quickly. It feels like there are needles attacking every inch of your skin, the feeling of Yeonjun and Beomgyu’s nails digging in only making things worse as you thrash around weakly in their grip.

“Let me go!” You cry out, your pleas falling on deaf ears as they echo throughout the endless woods. Your screaming is quickly cut short as Yeonjun slaps a hand over your mouth, fingers digging into your cheeks as he turns your head to face him roughly.

“Shut the fuck up,” he growls, face close to yours as his glare is enough to quiet you down, “you’ll only make shit worse for yourself.”

“Tch. Fucking crybaby,” you didn’t notice the moment tears began to run from your eyes again, but Beomgyu is quick to notice as he scoffs at your weak state— you’ve really angered them now.

Against your will, you feel your body slowly becoming weaker, slumping down in their grips as your vision begins to become spotted— you must’ve been out in the cold for too long. Your fight quickly dies down at their cruel words, your body too weak to resist as you let them take you back to the cabin; back to your personal cage.

-♡♡♡-

“She needs to be fucking punished.”

Beomgyu is first to suggest the idea, the anger inside him yet to quell down as he stares down at your sleeping form— you’re running a fever, your body shivering as you’re bundled safely under the covers of your bed. He doesn’t care how this comes across anymore; Yeonjun’s incredulous glance at him does nothing to deter his statement, watching you stir restlessly on the bed with cold eyes.

“I don’t think we need to go that far—“

“Really? Because it seems to me that the only reason she managed to pull that stupid stunt was because of you,” Beomgyu sneers, reaching out to play with the bell on your neck absentmindedly, “you’re lucky we managed to track her down with this.”

“You think I’m too soft on her?” Yeonjun says, running a hand through his hair as he listens to the bell— the tracker— jingle softly. Beomgyu nods immediately, not bothering to spare him another glance as you whimper softly in pain.

“What,” Yeonjun gulps, mind racing as he forces himself to get the words out, “what did you have in mind?”

-♡♡♡-

The door is locked.

As a matter of fact, the doorknob has been changed.

Your fever is long gone, and you stand in front of the door as you wiggle the doorknob curiously— but it won’t budge. There’s no way to unlock it, and you realize miserably that you’re locked inside.

Not even the window opens.

This must be because of what you did, you remember, falling back onto the bed with a huff. Staring at the ceiling, you try to listen for any activity outside when you spot it— the camera left in plain sight. It seems as though they want you to know they’re watching; the sight of it is enough of a warning for you as you wait for them to come in, to make you apologize so they can finally let you back out.

But nothing happens.

Minutes pass. Then an hour. Then another one— actually, you’re not sure how much time has passed, the room devoid of anything to entertain yourself with as you’re left to stare at the empty walls around you, the echoes of Soobin’s voice laughing at you appearing ever so often. How much time has passed? The sun is beginning to set, and you can feel your stomach growl for the umpteenth time as you conclude that they won’t be coming anytime soon— you have yet to eat anything, your body feeling nauseous as you curl up into a ball, the singular pillow and thin blanket you were left with your only comfort.

The thought of calling out for them crosses your mind— but you resist, not wanting to give into their games so easily as you stare at the camera dejectedly; on the other side, they watch you, laughing cruelly at the way you continue to seem strong.

Eventually, Yeonjun comes in to feed you; you don’t bother looking at him, refusing to eat until he walks up to you, grabbing your face roughly as he brings his face dangerously close.

“If you don’t eat, I’ll chain you to the bed and feed you myself.”

That seems to do the trick.

-♡♡♡-

You’re not sure how long you were left in there.

But by the time they let you out, you don’t seem to remember why you wanted to leave in the first place.

The cabin is so nice— it’s so nice to eat whenever you want, to watch shows and read as you curl up to Beomgyu’s side, his hand playing with your hair as you finally enjoy the touch of someone else again. It’s nice to have someone else lay next to you, after spending all that time alone in an empty bed and empty room. They seem nicer to you, constantly apologizing and telling you that “they had to do it” and that “they did it to keep you safe, to make you realize that leaving wouldn’t be worth it.”

And after a while their words became believable.

The thought of leaving seemed scary to you— though you didn’t realize why. But deep in your mind, you knew the truth.

It wasn’t because you were better off here, wrapped around their finger as you clung to them helplessly. No, it was because your mind knew the truth; you couldn’t escape, and any attempt to do so would only lead to punishment.

Unbeknownst to you, another month had passed— and instead of the scared, worried mess you had been when you had been brought here, you had been turned into a cute obedient pet for them, pleasing their every desire in the subconscious fear of being treated like nothing more than a prisoner again.

-♡♡♡-

Everything feels like it’s going back to normal again— they’re trusting you enough to leave you alone, the front door locked every day and cameras left installed to make sure you didn’t leave; “it’s your fault we had to come to this,” they would tell you, noticing the way you frowned as they were getting ready to leave, “you’ll just have to earn our trust back if you want them gone.”

Though they told you that, there was no chance that they would ever take the cameras down; if anything, they would only go back into hiding again, all whilst telling you that there was nothing left to surveille you anymore. How could they ever trust you again, when the inkling of doubt has already been planted?

The cameras were mostly for show; if anything, they only checked on you every once in a while, making sure that you were there before they continued with their inconspicuous lives; the threat of the police looking for you had been nothing but a lie— all footage with you and Soobin the night of or prior had been swiftly tampered with by Beomgyu, the said man spending hours to make sure that there was nothing there; even the records to your workplace were changed, stating that you had called off on your shift while Soobin spent the night working alone.

But it was a good tactic to keep you close to them— after all, your intentions were innocent. You were driven to that point, simply injuring the man on instinct as he threatened your precious friends. Though the two men had been worried about Soobin telling you the truth before they could prevent it, it seemed as though nothing had changed, your suspicions of them nonexistent as they allowed themselves to use your murder as an excuse to keep you chained to them.

And yet, they can’t predict everything— sometimes, even the smallest mistakes bloom into disasters.

-♡♡♡-

You think you’ve found a new place where you can hide— though, you don’t remember this room being in the house.

You had simply been searching for a place where you could be alone, doing your best to avoid all the cameras as you accidentally leaned against a bookshelf— and, like a scene of a movie, it slid to reveal a door behind it. Carefully, you moved it, eyes widening as you hesitantly twisted the doorknob— and to your luck, it opened.

With your heartbeat quickening, you quickly open the door, the curiosity getting the best of you as you step inside. Your hands are careful as they glide along the walls, blindly feeling around the dark as you feel around for a light switch— finally finding one, you flip the switch, squinting as the room is filled with bright, white light.

And you regret doing so immediately.

The room is empty, save for a desk with an elaborate computer set up against one of the walls— the multiple monitors are left unlocked as it allows you to see everything. Stepping slowly towards it, you feel your mouth dry as you notice more and more familiar items shoved into a box under the desk; you reach for that first.

Yet you’re distracted by the tabs that were left open on the computer, the items inside the box long forgotten as you squint, trying to decipher what the blinking red dot and strange floor plans in front of you may be— it doesn’t take you long before it finally clicks.

The collar you have on.

That wasn’t a bell hanging around your neck.

You think back to the day in the woods, how Yeonjun had been so quick to give up his chase on you; yet he had been just as quick to pinpoint the exact spot you ran to. The times when they would call out your name teasingly, finding you within seconds as a cruel smile ran across their face— you never knew how they found you so accurately and quickly. Next, you realize, is another surveillance camera— the screen is black, and you’re wondering what it might be until you read the label; your eyes drift down to the box in front of you in horror.

And just as suspected, your laptop is hidden in the box of items; opening it, you gasp as you find the camera on the computer immediately turning back on, showing you the mirror of your horrified face as you realize that they’ve been watching you— and for a while, too.

The botanical gardens, you think biting at your lip as you remember meeting Beomgyu there, the said boy allusive whenever you asked why he was there— it was no coincidence, that’s why.

Your phone is in there too, unable to find the energy to gasp once you notice that the device also has a tracker on it— digging around more, you find Soobin’s phone inside too. You drop it immediately, hissing as if the device had burned you. Why would they have Soobin’s phone?

“Those text messages you told me about wouldn’t help your case much either.”

You never told Yeonjun about the texts Soobin sent you.

Oh god. Oh god. Your hands are shaking violently as you empty out the box, your movements frantic as the items inside only get worse.

The same stationery your stalker used. The pendant. Copies of the pictures from your letters. Your fucking evidence box.

Everything was there and intact— your alibi, your only chance at proving your innocence, taken away from you and fucking hidden as you were left to be isolated and go insane instead.

All by the people who swore to protect you.

“It wasn’t, I’m not the one who—“

Soobin wasn’t the one behind this— they were.

They had lured you into their trap, leaving you in such a broken state that you had no other choice but to depend on them— Your whole life was in the palm of their hands.

Fuck, you realize, shoving everything back inside and making everything seem untouched as you stumble out of the room, these were the same people who swore up and down that they loved you. That they would never hurt you. These were the people you fell in love with.

You feel sick— you feel used, your emotions nothing but a carefully fabricated web of lies, all of the events in your life leading up to this; their big rescue, seeming like nothing but angels as you let yourself rely on them— broken, haunted you, forced to live with the fact that you killed a man.

You killed a man— and they let it happen.

How much of it had been fabricated by them? Was Jaemin a part of the plan too? How long had they been planning this? How far were they willing to take this?

You’re unsure of the answer to those questions, but there is one thing you know for sure— you need to leave.

And this time, you won’t stop fighting for a second.

“___, where are you?”

Speak of the devil.

Your heart is pounding erratically, blinded by rage as the need to leave, now, is overtaking your mind. You won’t take this anymore, you refuse to let them think they’ve gotten away with everything for even a second longer.

You reach for the first thing you see— a random vase— and quickly swing it at the man who enters the doorway, uncaring of who you hit, focused more on hitting either of them in general. The vase is fragile as it smashes into pieces, knocking the man back and hitting the doorway as well as it shatters in your hands. The noise is enough to alert the other culprit, the sound of their hurried steps giving you enough of a warning as you’re scrambling to grab another weapon.

“No—!” You’re cut off as you’re tackled to the ground, chin banging on the hardwood floor as you let out a yell in protest. You’re fighting the man above you, barely able to recognize him as Yeonjun as you thrash and kick under him. “Let me go! Let me go!”

“What the fuck has gotten into you?!” Yeonjun yells, using all his body weight to pin you down as you continue to fight him, throat raw as you spew insults and curses at them.

“Yeonjun, the bookshelf.”

They go silent as you continue to kick violently under them, the now strength of two men rendering your movements useless as they look at the bookshelf— at the way the door peeks behind it, usually not visible at all as they hide it meticulously.

There are drops of blood falling in front of you, and you realize they’re coming from Beomgyu as you look up, the wound on his forehead no joke as he grabs a fistful of your hair. He’s tugging your head up, the yelp of pain you let out doing nothing for him as he only grabs on tighter, moving your head violently as he talks down to you.

“You fucking idiot, you should know your place by now.” Beomgyu sneers, the blood dripping onto you as you beg him to let you go, “now we’ll isolate you again, but this time, don’t even think you’ll get any food.”

You’re sobbing hysterically at the painful way Beomgyu is handling you, the two men above you beyond furious as you continue to spew out insults to them, ever so persistent as you scream at them to let you go.

“I fucking hate you! Let go of me, you sick bastards! You’re sick! I hate you, I hate—!”

“Shhh,” Yeonjun is the one to speak up this time, hand covering your mouth like a habit at this point. His nails dig deep into your skin, the feeling bringing out a low groan from you as he forces you to look at him, the awkward angle hurting your neck.

“You’ll make things worse for yourself, darling. You don’t mean that, right?”

Letting go of your face, he waits for you to respond, watching tentatively as his eyes seem to warn you; but you ignore it, spitting at him as you proceed to sneer cruelly.

“I never loved you.”

The words are a message to both of them, but Beomgyu is first to act on it as he shoves Yeonjun off you, pulling you up with inhuman strength as his patience is snapped in half.

“Listen to me closely,” he says to you, shoving you against the wall harshly as he wraps a hand around your neck. Your eyes widen as he begins to squeeze, the man towering over you as he looks at you coldly— it’s almost as if all his love for you was long gone.

“Maybe, if you stop being such a fucking brat and apologize, I’ll let you go,” you’re clawing at his hands as he presses harder, your panicked eyes looking around for anything that can help you as you try to inflict more pain on the man above you— but it doesn’t work, the blood from his other wound dripping into his eye as he squints, a crazed smile breaking from his features as he watches you become helpless.

“You can die for all I care.”

The scariest part is that he means it. You know he does, if the way your vision spots and your gaping lips struggle for air is enough of a warning for you— eyes catching with Yeonjun’s, you gasp, whimpering out his name in a final hope that he’ll open his eyes and realize that you’ll die at any second.

“Yeonjun,” you gasp, reaching out to him as you make eye contact with him. You’re crying, the face of your best friend morphed into something darker as you he watches you silently. Your feet are kicking about underneath you, attempting to reach the man you once called your best friend as you cry out once more.

“Junnie!”

Beomgyu was never the one to deal with being put second— he was. Beomgyu didn’t have to deal with cruel and endless years of pining, but Yeonjun did. Every promise to stay by your side, to protect you, to put you first pops back up in his mind— and he shoots up from where he was seated, bolting towards Beomgyu as he reaches into his pocket.

Beomgyu didn’t deserve you. Neither did Jaemin. Nor Soobin.

What you deserved was someone who knew you better than you knew yourself— someone like Yeonjun.

Beomgyu’s fingers grow stiff on your neck.

One look into his eyes is all you need to know; his eyes are frozen, staring right back into yours as his mouth opens in disbelief. His lips move to utter your name, but all he can muster is a cough as Yeonjun steps back.

Blood splatters against your cheek.

And though Beomgyu falls back, although he groans as a pool of blood begins to form under him, you can only watch with horror as Yeonjun straddles the injured man, as he raises the pocketknife again, only for it descend back down, his body twitching and a small groan coming from him as the knife seeps into his skin.

Then Yeonjun does it again. And again. And again.

You’re not sure Yeonjun even remembers why he’s doing this. He’s hunched over Beomgyu’s body, head ducked down as he continues to stab every surface, every place he can find, Beomgyu’s cries quickly die down as blood continues to seep out and spread everywhere. It’s almost rhythmic as you slowly step around him, as you wait for him to look up and make you the next target— but he’s gone, lost in his own world as he continues to stab, and stab, and stab.

The squelching sound is too much for you as you make your way back to the front entrance, surprised to find Beomgyu’s coat and the door left ajar— you slip it on, feeling the heaviness of the material as you slip on a random pair of shoes.

It isn’t until you hear the wood creak that you take off running.

“___!” Yeonjun’s voice is harsh and raw as he yells for you, running after you as his footprints bleed from red to white, his shoes being cleaned as he continues to scream your name.

“___, listen to me! I don’t want to hurt you!”

His statement is a bit hard to believe as you glance back with uncertainty, following along the fresh tire tracks etched in the snow.

Yeonjun’s eyes are wide, and, much like you, he seems terrified; like he couldn’t believe what he had done. His hair is pushed back, the usual blonde now mixed with red as his face and clothes are splattered with the matching color. The path before you is too simple, too easy as Yeonjun quickly begins to catch up to you, his sudden speed giving you no other choice but to run back into the woods— you slip at the sharp turn, kicking up snow behind you as you hear him call out your name again.

“Please, listen to me!”

Lies. It was all lies. The man that chased after you was not the same man who took care of you when you were sick, who walked with you everywhere, who comforted you with ease when you missed your home— you refused to believe it.

The man who chased you, quickly gaining speed, was your stalker. He was the one who isolated you from your friends and family, who caused you to kill a man who, in the end, was innocent. Your life was ruined, and it was all his fault.

But it isn’t long before you’re growing tired, unable to continue to push yourself as the winter air stings your skin and burns your lungs. Even when you feel your legs going numb, you still attempt to run, stumbling and grabbing onto trees as the collar continues to jingle, almost as if it were mocking you as you feel yourself slow down involuntarily.

Even when the image of Beomgyu comes back into your mind to try to keep you going, the reminder of watching your lifelong friend continue to stab into him still seems to do nothing for you as your legs scream at you to stop. But you refuse to listen, the pitiful cries of Yeonjun slowly becoming louder and louder as you try to make as much distance as you can.

Unfortunately for you, your legs give out in protest.

Your knees sting as they dig into the jagged rocks and sticks hidden under the snow, unable to muster a reaction as you hear Yeonjun catch up to you. Slowly, you stand back up, the heavy jacket swinging around you as you wrap it tighter around you for protection.

“___, please,” he pants out, just as tired as you as he drops the knife in the snow. You shake your head, taking a step back as he reaches out to you, eyes filled with pain and regret as he takes in the fear that paints your face.

“How could you?!” You cry out, voice hoarse and thick with emotion as you let your arms fall to your sides. He shakes his head, attempting to grab your hand in comfort before you swat him away.

“Why?” You sob, your voice breaking off as you attempt to keep your composure. He says nothing, taking another step towards you instead, only to have you back away immediately.

“Why, god damn it?!” Your hands are wandering along the jacket in a sad attempt to soothe yourself, smoothing over the material and pockets as you demand an explanation. “You— you let me kill him! Why?!”

“Because I’m in love with you!” His excuse is ridiculous, even to him, but he has nothing else to lose as Yeonjun finally decides to tell the truth.

“I’m— fuck, I’m so in love with you,” he cries, voice breaking as he reaches down for the knife— you stumble back, breaths quickening as you watch him play with the blade. “I have been for years. I’ve watched you fall for others and push me aside. I tried to move on, I really did. But nothing ever worked, and Beomgyu was the one to suggest all this.”

He waves the knife around and you step back again, the hurt flashing across his face the least of your worries as he continues.

“I didn’t want it to happen this way, I really didn’t!” He looks sad as he tells you this, as if he genuinely believed he was innocent, “all this— this, this fucked up shit, it was not my idea!”

Bullshit. That’s a lie and you both know it, judging by the way his lips tremble and his eyes are flooded with tears as he hopes that you’re able to forgive him.

“Leave me the fuck alone,” you say quietly, hands digging into the jacket pockets as you walk backward, much too afraid to take your eyes away from him for even a second.

“No,” Yeonjun is exasperated as he begins to chase after you, hands reaching out as he shakes his head in denial, “you don’t mean this. Don’t.”

“Leave me alone! I don’t want to see you ever again!” Your steps are frantic as you keep your eyes on Yeonjun, unable to notice the tree root that your foot catches on, tripping on it and landing on your back harshly, the snow around you puffing up as you scramble to stand— but you hiss, your ankle twisted as it throbs in protest.

“Please!” Yeonjun gasps out, falling to his knees as he reaches out for your injury. You’re quick to tuck your leg back underneath you, shaking your head as you scoot back instead. He’s pathetic, crawling to you as he pleads for you to forgive him, clearly out of his mind as he babbles on and on about his love for you.

“I saved you!” He says, hands landing on your calves as he pulls you back to him. You shake your head, pushing against his chest as you scream at him to let you go. “Beomgyu— it was all him! He was horrible to you—!”

“YOU’RE JUST AS BAD!”

He seems to freeze at that, his eyes glazing over as the foreign concept dawns on him— you won’t forgive him. But he refuses to believe it— he saved your life.

“I saved your life…” he echoes, hand reaching back as you realize exactly what he’s reaching for.

“You’re so ungrateful…”

The bloodied knife greets you, looking for its new target as Yeonjun stares down at you, tears falling onto your face as he mumbles incoherently. His hand shakes, the hesitation in his motions your last opening as you let out a scream of terror.

And you pull the trigger.

The gunshot echoes throughout the woods, your brain mortified at the feeling of Yeonjun falling on top of you, wet, messy, dead.

There was a reason why Beomgyu’s jacket was so heavy.

Yeonjun’s body is cold and stiff by the time you gather the courage to push him off, his disfigured face bringing about a wave of nausea that you can’t control, your stomach lurching as you vomit into the snow. Tears and blood fall into the pure white substance as you pat his jacket, hands shaking as you finally find what you want— the keys to his car.

Limping, you make your way back, following the footprints in the snow, watching as they become redder and redder the closer you get to the cabin. The car comes into sight, and you feel a slight tinge of relief as the keys in your hand unlock the vehicle before you.

It hurts to drive, but as you slowly follow the tire tracks that were set beneath you, you know that there’s at least one police station in that quiet and quaint town. The rough path soon becomes a road, the empty road soon showing a welcome sign and streetlights.

Glancing into the mirror, you watch the cabin on the mountain become smaller and smaller;

It looks like you’re finally out of the woods.

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