Sunghoon's POV
Y/N was always broken. Yet, anyone could see how strong and determined she is. She could be bleeding and she'd still do her best to win. Her strength was both her greatest asset and her biggest curse. She had been through so much in her life, and every hardship had left a mark on her. Some of those marks were visible, while others were hidden deep within her.
I was so lost when I first met her. I still remember me standing at the edge of the rooftop when she appeared out of nowhere and sat next to me.
You can jump, don't mind me. It was ridiculous, but it was the first time I had laughed in ages.
She didn't judge me for being on the rooftop that day. She didn't try to fix me or give me empty platitudes. Instead, she listened and stayed. Something no one did for me, not even my own family.
She was the only person I had in this whole world, so when she didn't believe me, everything shattered. I expected her to believe me, not think I was the villain in this story. Gosh, no. But that's exactly what she did, accusing me of doing something that I would never do, something that went against every fiber of my being.
And at that moment, I felt like I had lost the one person who had ever truly understood me.
But now, while I watch her sleep, I realize that I can never really lose her. She may have doubted me, but she didn't abandon me. That's the thing about Y/N, she never gives up on anyone.
I wanted to hate her, but I could never bring myself to dislike one single thing about her. She could have hurt me, yet I can never blame her for that.
She is truly one of a kind. If only I could take away all of her pains. If only I could let her live the peaceful life she had always deserved.
When I reach out to brush a strand of hair away from her face, her eyes flutter open. "Hey." She whispers, her voice hoarse with sleep.
"Sorry to wake you up."
"No, it's fine. It was just a little nap." I watch her while she sits up, her fingers running through her hair as she rests her head on her knees. "I should go meet Haru."
"You don't have to." I don't know why I hate it whenever she mentions him. No, I know, but it's ridiculous. I know I shouldn't be jealous of him when the two of them had to part ways in such a cruel way, yet I find myself helpless. "He'll come here."
"You don't like him, do you?" She doesn't look at me, but I can tell she has her soft smile plastered on her face. "He's not someone you should be wary of, Sunghoon."
"It's not like I don't like him... you like him so he must be a good person. I just don't like the idea of you... being with him." I can't believe I'm telling her this. Yet it feels good to take off the weight that has been on my chest for so long. "I love you and I don't want to lose you."
"You know I love you too." Y/N tilts her head and looks at me, and when I look into her eyes, I forget how to breathe. She always had this effect on me.
"I just can't help feeling like I'm competing with him... like he's still a part of your life in some way." Our fingers touch and I hold her hand in mine, slowly stroking the back of her hand with my thumb.
"You don't have to compete with anyone." Her other hand rests against my jawline and I melt at her touch and words. "You're the one I love, okay? Haru is just a friend, a part of my past that I can't forget but also can't go back to. But you're my present and if we make it alive from all this crazy stuff happening, I want you to be my future as well." Her voice is soft and her gaze is unwavering as she looks at me.
I take a deep breath and lean my forehead against hers, feeling the warmth of her breath on my lips. When I say Y/N is never cold or heartless, this is what I mean. She could bring me to life with her mere touch and warmth.
"You'll make it alive, Y/N. I promise." A chill runs down my spine as I feel the weight of the promise I just made and the gravity of the danger we were facing. But I also know I would do anything to keep her safe.
I fucking will, no matter what happens.
I don't even realize it until we're all sitting together in the living room waiting for Haru to arrive. I hate seeing him with Y/N, but I also hate seeing her worried because of him. And the last thing I'd ever want is to see her broken because of losing him. She had lost enough.
"Haru is safe. What do we do now?" Heeseung's voice snaps me out of my trance and I fold my arms over my chest.
"We need to use this information to our advantage," I say, my mind racing with possibilities. "But we can't let the Black Rose know that we're onto them. We need to be smart about this."
"We'll use Haru as bait." Y/N's voice makes me widen my eyes while I turn to her. "They want Haru? We'll give them Haru. But we'll set a trap and stay hidden then be ready to attack as soon as they take the bait."
"I can't believe you're letting go of me that easily." Haru steps into the place and I watch as Y/N races to him. "Hey, hey. I missed you."
I watch as the two of them hug each other so tight I just want to go pull them apart, but seeing Y/N happy is worth more than my ridiculous jealousy. And I believe Y/N when she says she chooses me.
"You have no idea how scared I was." I hear her say and he smiles at her. Why would he even smile at her...?
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Y/N, but I'm here now. And I'm in. Whatever it takes to end this."
"That's all we need to hear," I step forward, interrupting them while I stand close to Y/N. Gosh. "Bora must have known already that Mal Chin and his men are dead, that means she knows we took action."
"Tsk," I look at Jay who shakes his head in disbelief. "Hungry dogs are never loyal."
"I don't want to wait anymore," Y/N's voice makes me look back at her. "The moment I see Bora I'm going to fucking murder her. Monster or not, I don't care if I have to become one. From now on, every single day will be a nightmare for her. They'll be provocative and terrifying, and she'll cry the same tears she made me shed."
It's funny, really, how Y/N was designed as a weapon. And yet, we're the ones fighting to protect her.
"I like this eye-for-an-eye plan." Heeseung nodded. "But isn't it a little too fair?"
I frown. "Elaborate."
"I say we take away everything from her. Why not let her have a taste of her own medicine?" He smiles and it's a smile I know very well. "I could have access to their system. There's this party that Bora is attending because she wants to make a deal with one of the businessmen so she can expand her operation."
"So?" Y/N's eyes flicker with a dangerous glint and I gulp. I don't like where this is going. "Who is he?"
"One of the men Haru's father knows." Oh, shit. Now I'm thrilled. "The two of you should just meet him, then we'll use him to our advantage."
"Isn't it too risky to bring Haru there?" Y/N spoke and I'm fighting the urge to roll my eyes. "I mean, what if this is one of their traps?"
"It's a masquerade. Rich people things. And I doubt Bora is this smart, she doesn't even know we have this much information about her." Heeseung shrugs, then a smile creeps on his lips. "Also, you know what? It seems she has a lover. There is multiple CCTV footage of them together. We can do something about it."
I look between Y/N and Heeseung and fold my arms over my chest. These two are dangerous when they're together. But then again, so are we.
But gosh, she's not just pretty. She's otherworldly and vaguely threatening.
