Colder Than Winter [BTS | Drama | Romance]

28. Choices

~.::.~

The air was rank with blood and sweat. A young man turned over on the ground after his thorough beating, streaks of blood and saliva spattered on his face. His tattered lip hung crooked as he glared at his attacker — his brother, otherwise known as The Big Boss. The men on the sides watched with indifference as they always do during these types of beat downs.

"I decide who's heads get cut. Don't you dare lie to me again. If you see him again, I'll know. I always do." The older man had a hardened look with a scar on his cheek to match. Another man stepped toward him with a towel. He took it and wiped the blood off his hands. "If you do and your next move isn't to bring him straight to me, this will be the last beating you'll ever get."

"Hyung!" The man on the floor growled but it was weak.

"Don't call me, hyung. I stopped being your brother a long time ago, Jei." The man turned and swaggered away. The other men in the room followed him out, leaving the battered Jei alone on the cold ground.

~.::.~

YOONGI

A muffled voice seemed to call out to me in the dark. Though I couldn't care less. It was interrupting my sleep flow. There's no way it was time to wake up already. When the voice died out, silence fell again and my body floated back into the weightless plane of slumber.

"YAH!"

Something hit me on the head with a loud whack. Something wooden telling by the high pitched clunk it made against my forehead. I flinched awake and brought my arms up to shield myself. I groaned angrily at the intruder whom I would've seen if I had bothered to open my eyelids. But there was no need.

"What the hell? You bastard!" I mumbled groggily.

"Get up! We made breakfast- well, my uncle and Yurim did."

Yurim. Slowly, the morning air stirred up just enough energy in me to open my eyes. I clicked my tongue and glared at the wooden back scratcher in the guy's hand before rubbing the new bump on my head.

"Why are you sleeping out here, anyway? Do you sleep-walk?" Hoseok asked.

I ignored him as I reluctantly sat up in a heap of blankets and pillows; in the middle of the structure behind the house. It was a dojang where Hoseok and his uncle must've trained. It wasn't insulated, but at least I was able to get some peace and quiet from my thoughts last night.

The couch I was expected to sleep on was right outside her door. It was distracting. Especially after what happened by the bridge.

"What's for breakfast?" I asked, hoping he'd forget his inquiry.

"Let's go see."

Before stepping back into the house, I quickly brushed my fingers through my bed hair. I hoped stubborn strands weren't sticking up by the time I stepped in and saw Yurim in the kitchen.

She was back in her own clothes again. Those white jean shorts and the pink flouncy blouse that glided around her figure whenever she moved. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, calling my eyes toward her ivory skin peeking out from her neckline.

I pried away my gaze and expelled a breath to regain sense. I had to remember that she meant to look cute for someone else. The thought brought me back to what she said about Jin. How she said it. From then I knew she really did mean it when she said that kiss with Hoseok was just an act to protect him. She was already sold on someone else. Always had been.