A loud rapping against the door snapped Shownu out of his silent brooding. It had been over a half an hour since (Y/N) had left, yet her words still continued to ring through his head, stinging him. She was the youngest in their group, but there were times when her words were far too wise for someone her age to speaking. Was it just a natural girl thing? Shownu didn't know.
The tapping on the door occurred again, this time accompanied by an impatient voice. "Shownu, come on and open up. It's Jooheon."
Shownu stirred slightly, but remained seated in front of his grandfather. Only one thought was stuck on his mind, bothering him. "Is (Y/N) out there with you?"
When Jooheon's voice returned it sounded confused. "(Y/N)? No, she's not."
"Do you see her on the street?"
A moment of silence as Jooheon quickly scanned the surrounding buildings before replying with, "No".
"Just stay out there and keep your voice down a bit," Shownu instructed. "She might be watching."
Jooheon thought it was impossible to be even more confused than he already was, but he managed to prove himself wrong. He sighed. "Okay fine, but I just wanted to let you know that I finally got my hands on one. I don't have it right now so I'll meet you in the alley on fifth in about an hour."
Shownu sat in silence, his eyes staring at nothing and waiting for Jooheon to leave. The sounds of footsteps never came however, instead receiving another exasperated sigh through the door. Obviously, Jooheon was starting to lose his patience.
"Look, I get it if you want to back out, but just weigh the pros and cons. You can either keep your pride or you can finally cure your grandfather. You're choice. Either way, I'll wait in the alley and if you come, we'll do it and if you don't, I'm heading home."
And that was it. Jooheon didn't waste any more words or anymore time, finally walking away to leave Shownu alone with his thoughts and his decision.
Shownu leaned forward for what felt like the millionth time to rest his head in his hands, his eyes blinking tiredly as a wave of nausea hit him. Everything that (Y/N) had told him earlier made sense. It wasn't fair for him to treat people this way, especially his friends. The past year he had been blaming himself for his grandfather's sickness, but he had kept his guilt bottled up to avoid receiving sympathy.
On the other hand, he also knew that it wasn't entirely his own fault. He had brought his grandfather to be treated multiple times and even though they diagnosed him with something serious, nothing was ever done to help him.
Shownu's eyes narrowed as he recalled the conversation with the doctor. Hyungwon's father. They were told that he would've been able to be cured had they possessed the money to pay for it.
They were turned away.
They were rejected.
These thoughts alone were enough to rekindle the burning fire inside of him, causing his anger to flare up and consume him once again. His hands clenched his hair tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably. At this point, all words of wisdom that (Y/N) had given him left his mind, replaced by cold hatred. He tried blocking her out of his brain and shakily lifted his head to stare at the man lying stagnant on the bed next to him.
"I will help you," he whispered, the intensity of his voice masking his pained emotions. He knew that his grandfather couldn't hear him, but he spoke more to reassure himself. "I'll do everything I can."
Shownu stood up and spent the next five minutes nervously pacing and planning for his meeting. He would need to leave soon if he wanted to be there on time, maybe even showing up before his friend. Also, Jooheon said that he finally had one, which was good. It would make everything easier. But what if someone finds out who they were and what they had done? What would happen then? Would their other group members be disappointed or would they understand that it had all been for a good cause?
Shooting one last worried glance at his grandfather's resting form; Shownu took a deep breath and ripped the front door open. The faster he left the faster they would get the job over with. He stepped outside and closed it behind him, nothing unusual except the white mask that was left lying on the chair in his wake.
The whole time he was walking along the busy street, his eyes darted to every passing person in caution. He tried his hardest to look normal, keeping his head low, but he couldn't help feeling self-conscious. What if someone gets suspicious? He flinched every time someone brushed past him among the thick crowd. What if a soldier stops him? His eyes shifted to scan the edges of the street, searching for patrol officers.
Shownu finally reached the alley where Jooheon had asked to meet and turned the corner after making sure no one was looking. He slipped into the darkness easily and wove his way through the maze of crates and metal bins filled with garbage. He stopped at the other end of the alley to wait quietly, making sure to stay completely hidden in the shadows and out of view.
His body shook from nerves as he leaned his back against the wall, his head hitting the stone. He felt like a mess and he probably looked like one too. Shownu anxiously wetted his lips and wiped his sweaty palms onto his pants, snapping to look in the direction of any sound he happened to hear. His heart was racing so fast, he was almost surprised no one could hear it pounding loudly in his chest.
It was hard for him to believe he had actually decided to come, especially after the deep argument he had with (Y/N) earlier. She told him without any hesitation that he was acting selfish. His eyes narrowed at the thought. This isn't selfish, Shownu had to reassure himself. I'm doing this for a good reason. She doesn't know what she's talking about. She's not even worth my time.
Suddenly, his ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps and his mind drifted away from (Y/N). He hastily scanned his surroundings, but sensed nothing at first. Seconds later, a figure blocked the fading light shining from the opposite entrance to the alley and Shownu tensed as it started to advance towards him.
"Shownu!" The figure called, picking up his pace to a jog after catching sight of him standing at the other end. Shownu immediately relaxed his rigid posture after hearing the familiar voice of Jooheon.
However, no more words passed between them as Jooheon ran forward, a large dark duffel bag slung over his right shoulder. Approaching Shownu, Jooheon kept casting weary looks behind him as if he felt like he was being watched. Coming to a stop to face his friend, he slowly lowered the bag from its perch, holding it out in front of his body for Shownu to take. The two boys exchanged a knowing look that replaced the need for any conversation before Shownu tore his eyes from Jooheon's to unzip the duffel and peer inside.
His heart continued to pound in his chest, the sound of his pulse resonating in his ears. Somehow, he managed to keep his hand steady as he reached inside, but his jaw hung slightly open in surprise as he carefully pulled out a small, metal object. He couldn't believe that Jooheon actually managed to snag something of this value and importance.
Shownu swallowed harshly and glanced back up at his friend, witnessing a smug smirk working its way onto his face.
"Ready when you are, Captain."
Shownu blinked and quickly stole a glimpse of the street adjacent to the nook where they were currently still hiding. It was almost empty now that the sun had started to set. He gently retracted his hand from the bag before taking it completely from Jooheon's possession.
A smile spread across Shownu's features as they shared one last look. Then, he turned and bolted around the corner, not waiting to see if Jooheon had followed suit. The bag dangled precariously in his grasp as he careened down the street, buildings whipping by at lightning speed as he only focused on how fast his legs could carry him.
It wasn't long before he saw Jooheon sprinting along his left side from the corner of his vision. As they barreled down the gravel road, they received loud gasps from any civilians they happened to pass, but they continued their run without sparing them a second glance. It was also a miracle that no military offers were patrolling at this time; if they had they would have tried to stop the two boys.
Feeling confident, Shownu pivoted himself so that he could face Jooheon while he was still running and tossed the duffel across to him. Instincts kicking in automatically, Jooheon barely managed to catch it at the pace they were going, but let out a quick whoop of satisfaction when he was holding it safely.
Their destination nearing fast, Jooheon called out to gain Shownu's attention before hurling the bag back at him. He caught it with ease and ripped it open, plunging his hand inside. He yanked out the object and flung the empty sack to Jooheon. They were going to need it later.
They hardly skidded to a halt in front of a small building and, wasting no time, rushed the front entrance. Shownu pushed his way in first while Jooheon leapt through the doorway behind him.
The reaction was instant. There were two older men inside, conversing with each other at a small table, but they shot up when the two boys entered what appeared to be a shop. They quickly backed away with their hands in the air when they caught sight of the object Shownu was welding in front of them.
His hands gripped the handle of the small gun. White fabric was wound around it tightly to conceal it from the public eye, but the two older men knew exactly what it was and what it could do. His finger rested loosely on the trigger to make it look like he would shoot at any time, using intimidation to get these men to cooperate.
One of the men was already rushing behind the counter that was separated from the rest of the store by a transparent wall of glass. The glass had many small holes cut in it and one large hole used to pass money though during an exchange. Shownu followed him closely with an impatient expression, willing him to work even faster.
Jooheon moved to examine the items lining the glass case in the window, shooting the other man who had remained paralyzed in fear with his hands up a glare that warned him not to move. He then proceeded to slide open the case's door and stuff one of the things in the bag. Needing nothing else, he slid it shut and moved so that he could watch the two shopkeepers while Shownu was busy.
The man fumbled and Shownu raised the gun even higher, aiming it at the man through the large hole. Letting out a small noise in fear, he finally started pulling out neatly kept stacks of bills, placing them hurriedly on the counter. Before long, a ridiculously large pile of cash had formed on top.
"Is that it?" Shownu growled. The shopkeeper only nodded vigorously, his eyes pleading for Shownu not to kill him. Waving Jooheon to his side, they speedily dumped the money into the duffel and zipped it up. Finally, they backed to the door with their narrowed glares on the two men in case they would try anything and slipped out.
They didn't stop sprinting until they were safely a far distance away from the shop they had targeted. Slowing down in the middle of an almost-empty street, the two boys stopped to catch their breath. Jooheon was bent over, his palms resting on his knees and his head low. Shownu's hands gripped the now bulging bag as if it was his life line, his knuckles turning white. He wanted to collapse on the ground after all the running they just did.
"I can't..." He gasped. "Believe... we just... did that..."
Jooheon glanced up, a wide grin on his face. "I know."
Suddenly, his eyes landed on something behind Shownu and his smile immediately faded, replaced by a look of panic. Shownu whipped around expecting to see a group of soldiers. The gun, now completely exposed since the white fabric fell away, was poised in front of him ready to shoot.
A pair of angry (E/C) eyes stopped him in his tracks.
"What," (Y/N) hissed. "The hell were you doing?"
***
What the hell am I doing? Minhyuk thought to himself wearily. This is wrong. It's a crime. I shouldn't...
You're doing this for a good cause, he reminded himself, his reasoning sending a wave of confidence throughout his body, renewing him of the strength he needed to complete this mission.
"You ready?" Came a voice to his left followed by a hand placed comfortingly on his shoulder. Minhyuk looked up to see Changkyun searching his face with his brown eyes, waiting calmly for an answer. He could also see Wonho peering at him from over Changkyun's shoulder with a worried expression on his face.
Minhyuk let out an airy laugh. "Of course."
He leaned down and lifted up a large jug by the handle. The smell of gasoline reached his nostrils, the burning stench causing him to instinctively gag. With a nod at his two friends, he started down the empty street in the direction of Hyungwon's home. Wonho and Changkyun each yanked a white cotton mask over their faces to hind their identities. Minhyuk did nothing except pull the hood of his jacket to barely cover his light blonde hair.
They were ready.
A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY THAT YOU CELEBRATE!!!!
Pls enjoy this update as a gift from me for this special time of year! (ﾉ'ヮ')ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Also please leave a comment, vote, and follow because it lets me know if you're enjoying the story! 💕 (*⌒∇⌒*)
I hope you all also have a Happy New Year! 사랑해!