"...Boss...Kang..."
Your voice is barely a whisper, floating through the air as your vision becomes blurry, eyes fluttering shut.
"Good answer, little girl." You can practically hear the smirk in Kang's voice as he releases his hand from around your throat. You drop, thudding painfully to the concrete. Gasping and coughing, you clutch your throat, sucking in as much air as your lungs can take.
The man holding Jungkook down lifts his foot, releasing him. He quickly crawls over to you, cupping your face in his hands.
"Y/n! Open your eyes, y/n, look at me!" Jungkook's face swims into view as your vision gradually returns. His eyes are panicked as they search your face, holding you gently. Somewhere nearby, you can hear Kang's voice.
"Tsk tsk, normally I would require an apology for such an outburst, but, luckily for you, I'm in a good mood today. My name is Kang Dong Won, but you're correct, everyone refers to me as Boss Kang. And you two are?" His voice is pleasant, almost sounding amused. As though he hadn't been holding you in the air by your neck mere moments ago. If you didn't know any better, you'd say he was a friendly, if not charming, person.
There's a beat of silence as Jungkook doesn't respond, his focus completely on you. Kang's charming persona vanishes instantaneously, replaced by a much darker, infinitely more dangerous one. "Do not take advantage of my good mood. I do not appreciate being ignored." His words are steel, edged with a very clear warning.
"My name is Jungkook. This is y/n." Jungkook responds through gritted teeth, clearly exerting every ounce of self-control he possesses. His worried eyes remain locked on your face, not sparing Kang so much as a glance.
"There now, was that so hard?" Kang purrs before turning his attention to the man who had just been holding Jungkook down. "The others?"
Jungkook's hands freeze at the mention of the boys, brows furrowed in concentration as he waits for a response from the man behind him. The man pauses, clearly apprehensive as he shifts his weight back and forth.
"The others...they, um...they got away, sir." There's a noticeable quiver in the man's voice.
The relief that floods your veins at the news of the boys escape is short-lived.
Kang sighs heavily, as though he had a terrible burden to bear. He reaches over to Mi Young, wordlessly taking something from her outstretched hand. Your breath catches in your throat as you recognize the deadly object now aimed directly at the man behind Jungkook.
Before the man can react, a crack splits the air. The next second, he's lying motionless on the pavement, blood pooling around him. Kang sighs again, handing the gun back to Mi Young.
"It's so hard to find adequate help these days, don't you think?" He asks, looking directly at Mi Young as he does so.
"It is, sir." She responds calmly, face betraying no emotion. Your body trembles uncontrollably as your eyes stay locked on the fallen man, watching the blood seep slowly, staining the concrete. Your breath comes in short bursts as the panic in your chest rises.
He killed one of his own men like it was nothing. This man...he's pure evil.
You're brought out of your thoughts by Jungkook, tilting your face so that your eyes meet his. He takes a few slow, steady breaths, indicating with his eyes for you to do the same. You follow his lead, breath gradually slowing.
Kang returns his attention to you and Jungkook, glancing down to where you still lay. He moves, taking deliberate steps, circling like a shark.
"Hmmm...I like the fight in these two." He stops, seeming to make up his mind. He snaps his fingers at a few men nearby. "Bring them. If they try to run, shoot."
With that he turns on his heel, striding down the alleyway he appeared from as his men haul you and Jungkook to your feet, quickly binding your hands. You stumble slightly as they shove you towards the dark alley. Following behind Mi Young and the others, you can almost feel the guns trained on you. Your mind scrambles, trying to find a way out of this mess, but you come up blank, knowing any sudden movements will only get you and Jungkook killed.
Snowflakes float lightly down from the bleak, gray sky as you move forward through the city, towards an unknown location. Each time you come across a zombie, one of the men simply shoot it, seemingly unbothered by the noise they're making or the attention they may draw. As though they believe themselves to be invincible.
You're not sure how much time has passed before what appears to be an old, decrepit warehouse comes into view, lurking on the edge of the city. Just beyond the rundown building lies a vast, snow-covered forest. But those details pale in comparison to the sounds rising to greet you.
The now all-too-familiar shrieks, many of them, flooding the air.
You whip your head around, trying to figure out where the sounds are coming from. Dread and confusion swirl through you as no one around you reacts to the noise, like its to be expected.
Where are the monsters? Why does no one seem to care that they could be anywhere, and could attack at any moment?
You glance behind you, briefly locking eyes with Jungkook, who looks just as puzzled as you.
"Hey, eyes forward" the man beside you barks, reaching over and shoving you forward once more. You just barely manage to catch yourself before tumbling to the ground, straightening and glaring at the man as you trudge forward. The snow falls harder, the almost-perfect blanket on the ground now broken by your footprints.
The warehouse draws relentlessly closer and closer, the shrieks only growing louder and louder. As you approach the entrance, the horrible realization finally dawns on you: the zombies are inside the building. The very same building you're being forced into now.
The air is heavy and damp, the foul stench of blood and rotting flesh hitting you like a ton of bricks, practically choking you. The dark, grimy interior of the warehouse is in stark contrast to the bright, white snow falling outside, and it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to your surroundings. Your stomach roils as you spot the origin of the screeches. To your right, a large section of the warehouse has been blocked off with metal fencing, trapping an entire army of monsters inside. They press against the metal wire, arms reaching through holes as they snarl and snap their jaws.
"Now is that any way to treat our guests?" Kang tuts, crossing his arms and shaking his head at the caged beasts. "You'll have to forgive the smell. Afraid there's nothing much to be done about that." He says apologetically, a look of sincerity on his face as he turns to you and Jungkook. When neither of you respond, he shakes his head again, cold eyes glancing back and forth between you.
"Who taught you two manners? They desperately need some work. When a host apologizes, the guest graciously accepts the apology."
"Sorry, its just that I've never had a 'host' bind my hands and force me into a nightmarish warehouse before" Jungkook spits, his previously careful demeanor cracking under the strain of Kang's insanity.
"Jungkook" you hiss, terrified of Kang's possible psychotic reactions. But, to your immense surprise, Kang simply laughs, wagging a finger at Jungkook.
"I like this one! He's got a fiery spirit. He'll make an excellent contender."
Your body stills at his words.
"Contender?" Your voice comes out shakier than you intended.
A wicked smile spreads slowly across Kang's face.
"Yes, contender." He turns on his heel, clasping his hands behind his back as he paces slowly back and forth in front of the caged monsters.
"Others have failed to see the opportunities these beasts present. At first, they were simply target practice. But I quickly realized they could be so much more. Think of them as a...vetting process, if you will." He keeps his eyes locked on the zombies as they claw at him, standing just barely out of their reach.
"Vetting process? For what?" Jungkook says sharply, eyes narrowed.
"To join my team, of course" Kang turns back to you, smirking. You feel nauseous as the implications of his words sink in.
"You mean...you throw people in with those...things...and.." you start, not even able to form the words.
"And if they survive, they join my team. It's an efficient way to weed out the weak." Kang says matter-of-factly, as though he were describing something as simple as the weather forecast.
You're silent, the horrible reality crashing over you in waves. Not only had he been doing this to other people, but that meant...
"So you're going to throw us in there and see if we survive?" Jungkook's voice is terse, his hands balled into fists.
"Precisely. It's nothing personal, I assure you. Simply a necessity. So" he claps his hands together, looking between you excitedly. "Who would like to go first?"
Without missing a beat, Jungkook steps forward.
"I will"
"Jungkook, no-" you start, but he turns, doe eyes pleading with you. Something burns deep in his eyes. He has a plan, and he's asking you to trust him. You give him a slight, albeit reluctant, nod.
"Very well! Lets get started, shall we?" Kang snaps his fingers, and two of his men immediately move forward. They take Jungkook, placing him in front of the cage and untying his hands. Somewhere on the other side of the cage, a loud bell begins ringing, drawing the attention of the zombies, who instantly rush towards the back of the cage, leaving room for Jungkook to step into it. Your heart pounds wildly as you try to figure out what his plan may be, how you both can possibly get out of this.
"I do have high hopes for you, but obviously there's a strong possibility you will not survive. Anything you'd like to say just in case?" Kang says as he picks at his nails, clearly bored by the formality of last words.
"Yes, actually, I would like to say something." Jungkook faces you, taking a deep breath. "Y/n...I'm sorry. I should have been braver. I should have told you every single day, so you'd never forget."
You search his face, fear and confusion rising despite your best efforts.
Why does this sound...like a real goodbye?
A flash of movement catches your eye, and you glance down. His right hand twitches, almost involuntarily, like he's reaching for something. You look to his right, heart skidding to a halt when you see it. Your eyes flash back to his face, widening in horror.
You realize his plan too late.
"No...wait, Jungkook, stop!"
A single tear escapes, racing down his cheek as he smiles at you, his goodbye glistening in his eyes.
"I love you, y/n."
Not waiting for a response, he lunges at the man standing beside him, yanking the grenade from his belt and pulling the pin in one swift movement. He looks at you one last time as he throws the grenade behind him. One word dances across his lips.
.
.
.
"Run."
A/N
SUPER unedited.
Guys, I am so sorry I've been totally awol - I was out of town for awhile, then was dealing with some unexpected personal stuff when I got back and have just not had the mental space or capacity to write. I really struggled with this chapter, but I hope it's worth the wait! Please forgive me🙏
P.s. uh oh, is my Kang Dong Won obsession showing? He's one of my all-time favorite actors, so I based Boss Kang loosely off a couple of his characters. He plays such a good bad guy (but also all of his characters are great, not just the bad guys), and I just love him.