House of Cards | KTH

Chapter 23

Sunmi POV

Nervously, I stay shuffled into Tae's side as I let him and the other man lead me down a dimly lit hallway. There's doors lining the hall on either side, all of them closed though as we go. Near the end of the hall, we finally find an open one, a man already sat on a stool next to a padded chair inside. The man who greeted us at the door gives Taehyung a small smile and bows, leaving us alone as Taehyung brings the two of us inside.

To say I'm nervous about getting a tattoo would be an understatement. Especially with Taehyung here to witness and watch. I already know I'll be getting whatever designs he's chosen, an understandable reason as to why he's staying, but making this all that much worse.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kim. I see you've brought a fine piece for me to work on today. Just the usual, yes?" The man greets as Taehyung closes the door behind us, eyes solely on the boy beside me rather than my own figure thankfully.

"I'd like a little more than the usual, Daesu. I want the usual and the special." Taehyung answers, leading me over to the chair beside the man. I bite my lip nervously, more so worried for the locations and what I'm getting rather than the pain that I know I'll be enduring.

"Ah, a special one here, huh? Where are we looking at?" Daesu questions with a smile as Taehyung walks away from me once more, forcing me to reluctantly sit in the chair that's clearly designated for me.

"Left hip. Right upper arm snaking onto her shoulder. The hip needs to be the special and her arm, the normal." Taehyung responds calmly as he leans back against the counter. My eyes widen at where he's asking, head snapping over in his direction.

"Tae, I don't think that's such a good idea." I speak up worriedly with wide eyes, not wanting to reveal anything. It's bad enough that I'll have to move my jeans down a bit so that my hips can be revealed for the tattoo, but I'm in a long sleeve shirt. That'll have to come all the way off. And, it's not that I'm insecure about my figure. My body shape is the last thing I'm concerned about. No, my biggest concern is the past that's going to instantly be revealed when clothing starts getting moved.

"Sunmi, it's not a big deal. Neither of us are going to do anything stupid just because you're going to need to remove your shirt and move your pants down. It's just to get the tattoos and then you'll have everything back on. Besides, you'll be mostly covered the entire time. He's got a blanket that he'll use to cover you so that the one bits that's bare are what he needs to work on." Taehyung informs me calmly. I shake my head though, not caring about that. It doesn't matter if I'm covered while he's drawing in the tattoo, that's the least of my concerns. My worry is for what's going to be seen the moment I'm uncovered for even a full second.

"No, Tae, you don't understand. This isn't a good idea. Please." I whisper softly. Forcing myself not to let the tears start forming. He sighs, walking over to me.

"Let's do the arm tattoo first. That way, it can be done and over with, and then you're not anticipating it the entire time and you'll be able to relax better. Okay? I'll be right here the entire time if you need me." He says softly, brushing a tiny piece of my short hair back so that it's out of my face once more.

"Tae, no. You don't -" I try to argue, not wanting him to know. Not wanting him to see the nightmare that's hidden under the clothes. Not wanting him to know the nightmare that haunts me day and night, the one that doesn't let me live a normal life, the one that doesn't let me sleep for long. The one that's been slowly killing me.

"Sunmi, that's enough. You were going to be getting this one regardless. Now do what I asked please." Taehyung cuts me off, his tone firm but somehow still gentle. I bite my lip, looking down to my lap, knowing that I'm not winning. It's not like I ever do. It's hard to win in a life where everyone else has the upper hand on you.

Closing my eyes lightly, I reluctantly grip the hem of my long sleeve. With a deep breath, I begrudgingly pull the fabric up and over my head, taking the shirt off completely before reopening my eyes and handing Tae the article of clothing. Daesu immediately hands me a blanket, allowing me to cover myself. However, the shocked expression on Taehyung's face doesn't go unmissed, knowing I won't be able to hide the truth from any of them anymore.