YOUTH. | JK | COMPLETE

punishment

"Wouldn't you, though? Because you're pointing a gun at me right now. Hell, you shot me in the hand." She counters, and Taehyung's breath audibly falters. "And you lead me right to Jeongguk." The tears in Taehyung's eyes spill down his cheeks silently, his hands holding the gun shaking uncontrollably. "Technically, you already have stooped to my level. You're no better than me, Taehyung. You despise Jeongguk just as much as I do, you just won't admit it."

"I'd never hurt him. I never wanted any of this, you can't make this my fault." Taehyung insists, voice weak. "It's not my fault." He repeats quietly, as if to convince himself more than to tell Mrs. Choi.

"It's not your fault, Tae." Jeongguk speaks up, carefully moving behind Taehyung to place his hand on his shoulder to reassure him. Seeing Mrs. Choi's gun on the ground, he ever so subtly moves it closer to himself with his foot. Taehyung melts into Jeongguk's touch, trying his best to believe him. The more Mrs. Choi speaks, the more he starts to listen to her.

"I'd shut your mouth if I were you, before I tell him to put a bullet through your little soulmate's skull." Mrs. Choi practically hisses at Jeongguk. At the mention of Haneul, the bouncer tightens his formerly relaxed choke hold on her. Jeongguk connects teary eyes with her as she feels the cool metal of the barrel press against her temple.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Taehyung blurts.

"Try me." Mrs. Choi cocks her eyebrow in a challenge.

"If you don't let her go, I'll shoot you." Taehyung chokes out, trying his best to be strong. Mrs. Choi has the audacity to laugh.

"No, you won't." She says. "No one would hurt a poor little old lady, least of all you. You don't have the courage. In fact, you're weak, Taehyung. Letting Jeongguk walk all over you, letting him use you, only to come to his defense because you're still head over heels for him—"

"Stop. Please." Taehyung murmurs, courage faltering.

"Stop? Why should I? You won't hurt me, you're too weak. Too naive, too scared." She taunts him still.

"Maybe he won't, but I will." Jeongguk says firmly, eyes narrowed on Mrs. Choi. Her eyes widen at the sight of him—the typically empathetic, kind person, innocent despite his years with a look that could wither flowers, the gun she had dropped on the ground in his hand, aimed straight at her. But she regains her composure as quick as she lost it.

"Please. I've lived a long life. I'm not afraid to die. My death wouldn't benefit Haneul, though. Your punishment for ruining everything you touch will come soon enough, Jeon Jeongguk, and there's nothing you can do about it." Mrs. Choi says, a sick and twisted smile on her wrinkled face, but her words resonate with Jeongguk.

Your punishment for ruining everything you touch will come soon enough, Jeon Jeongguk, and there's nothing you can do about it.

"Oh, there is one thing I can do." He says, cocking the gun with a calmness and clarity he didn't have before. His hands don't even tremble as they change where the gun is pointed—shifting steadily from Mrs. Choi to himself. A strangled sound escapes Haneul, and the bouncer stifles it with a strong grip around her windpipe. Taehyung swallows dryly in utter fear, and the brief panic Jeongguk saw on Mrs. Choi's face before is back in full force.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asks, desperately hanging on to any ounce of intimidation she has, but it's slipping between her fingertips as she watches Jeongguk's finger tap the trigger teasingly.

"Avoiding punishment, of course. You cannot punish me if I'm dead." He says nonchalantly, trying his best to ignore Haneul's cries of terror behind him. He feels clarity amid the madness in this moment—he has control.