Jaeryeong had always put faith into his leaders. Every ounce of himself, his pride, he'd die for them. They had given him hope for a life that was his very own when no on else had given him a second glance. They had allowed him to be one of their most trusted smaller leaders. This was the life Jaeryeong had chose, the one that had benefited him all this time... so why now...? Was everything crumbling? Why? Why? WHY?
He screamed, Doyun, Giju, and Juwon. They were gone. Why? Why was the world like this? Why couldn't Jaeryeong be happy? For a while he'd blamed the Union, Jake Ji, Wolf Keum, Jimmy Bae. Maybe it was because the Cheongang Associates had lost so terribly, but no, the Union was suffering losses as well. Jaeryeong wondered if he should be happy, but no matter what, he couldn't force a smile to his face.
Multiple times, they'd called him a child who couldn't understand their methods. Every time he'd laughed it off. Now he felt like a child, lost in a store, all alone. Jaeryeong longed for the guiding hand that had brought him to Cheongang in the first place.
"You look like you could fight!" Smiled the adrenaline junkie Giju. "What'd'ya say! Wanna join our gang?"
"Poor kid," Changhui added, extending a hand enclosed with a business card. "Leave him be Giju, but since you have such interest in him," Warm eyes flickered over Jaeryeong and for the first time, he felt seen, "Come visit us if you're interested, we always need new members.
Juwon had scoffed, checking his watch, "We're going to be late Giju," He blamed the other rather than Changhui. Jaeryeong knew now that Juwon could never blame Changhui.
With a flash of a mischievous smile and a little wave, Giju was gone, sheparded away by the ever-so diligent Juwon. Changhui's business card felt like a key. Something that would unlock Jaeryeong's shackles and free him from the slums. Naturally, the very next day, he called and set up a time to meet with them personally in office. Jaeryeong didn't waste a single moment, he do whatever he could to prove his worth to the Cheongang.
Now they were gone.
The men who were his comrades, his superiors, his liberators'. Each and every one of them was gone and there was nothing Jaeryeong could do about it.
"Dammit!" He screamed, what was his worth without them? Who was he if not a proud member of Cheongang? What was the point?
There wasn't one. Not one at all.
Jaeryeong's anger felt both hot and cold on his skin. Why now, after he's finally had a taste of freedom, a good life, did it have to get ripped away from him? Why? Why? Why? His hands clutched his phone until his knuckles burned white. How did they expect him to keep going in their absence, without a single word of advice or encouragement.
It was over.
Cheongang crumbled.
Jaeryeong stood alone.
What else was there for him to do now? He took a deep breath, though with it, it brought no clarity or reassurance. Inhale.
Maybe the solution was more blatant that he'd first assumed. Honestly, the answer to all his problems was right there in front of him. Exhale.
What a pity it has to end this way, such is life. Perhaps Jaeryeong was weaker than Changhui had thought. Who knows?
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555 words excluding a/n
we're gonna knock these out real quick in lil 500ish word chapters!
I WILL HAVE PERFECT ATTENDANCE!