Song: KARD 'GUNSHOT' (카드 GUNSHOT 가사)
I turned my body towards him and was ready to throw a solid punch in his jaw, but after I saw his face all power inside me drained and my facial expressions dropped instantly.
Jaebeom
"W-why are you here?" Words crawled out of my mouth and my heart squeezed, thinking about the consequences.
"Hanbin lets go." He said in a hurry, grabbing my hand. I pulled my hand from his grasp, shoving him away.
"Jaebeom, you should leave!" I whispered yelled, gritting my jaw.
He sighed turning his head to a side, placing his hand on his forehead—clearly tired.
"Hanbin it's enough, you did what you wanted now let's leave, if you don't want any of us to die. Jinyoung will take care of Jackson." His hand once again reached to pull me with him but I took a step back revolting against him. Jinyoung was also here, everything is going as dad planned—Damn it!
How can I be so selfish and leave Jackson to die, when he risked his life to help me. Above all everything's because of me.
I balled my fists, my nails dug deep in my flesh. Breathing heavily I shook my head, trying to get away from the wave of anxiety befalling upon me.
"Once again I can't leave others to die because of me! Jaebeom, why don't you get my point?" I cried out loud not caring that my voice is heard by anyone or not.
His eyes widened and he tried to cover my mouth using his hand but I slapped it away, placing my hands over his chest before pushing him away.
He stumbled back, looking at me with his hurt and horror filled orbs.
"If you stop me today, then forget about me for your whole life. You will be dead to me." I didn't mean hurting my brother but like always I was stuck in such misery, that it sucks out every ounce of strength from inside me, just leaving me with the desperation to end this.
Sooner than any of us could argument further, a gunshot tore into the murky night. Every hair on my body stood up as the origin was close to where Dad was. Tearing away my teary gaze from Jaebeom I looked on my back, my heart beating so swiftly that I almost thought that it would burst any moment from now.
Glaring one last time at my brother, I grasped tightly over the ice-cold metal, and ran off in the darkness. Only my breathing and the voice of my shoes thumping on the ground echoed in the whole street.
'Click-click!' I loaded the gun, ready to kill anyone who hurted us.
My legs shook visibly and my eyes watered uncontrollably, but I kept blinking them, looking at the scene taking place in front of my eyes. For a few minutes it gave the impression that everything was happening in slow motion.
Jackson was kicked by person in his stomach so mercilessly that it even made me sick, blood sprayed out of his mouth and soon his nose also flowed with red liquid, result of continuous punches on his face. He sat on his knees, his gaze not able to focus on one thing. Sweat mixed with blood seeped down his face.
My world spun around me, looking at Jinyoung, Jaehyun pushed him to the wall, attacking him with uninterrupted punches. He breathed heavily, his eyes dropping and blooding spewing out of his torn cheek, his lip dwelling into a dark purplish shade and swelling evident on his face.
Yet Jinyoung didn't give up, his nostrils flared in agitation, and he fought endlessly with the beast hovering over him. Until Jaehyun pushed his weary body to the hard concrete and twisted his arm behind his back in such unnatural way, that a heart wrenching scream escaped from his mouth, along with the scarlet droplets of blood dripping on the grey land, turning black.
All because of me, once again everybody was ready to take the fall with me, like always sacrificing themselves for me. I can't let them killed because of me again.
Pointing the gun barrel at the sky above my head I pulled the trigger, not flinching once. A deafening voice filled the atmosphere. The empty covering of the bullet flew out from the muzzle, clinking to the ground.
Everything went silent and their gazes travelled towards me. Jinyoung looked at me, sweat and blood dripping down his face; he shook his head at me, signaling me to run away.
"Dad, the long awaited person is here. Why are you wasting time over them?" The deep timber of my voice echoed in the alley.
Dad, who stood in the half enlighten part of the alley, looked up. A part of his face hid in the darkness whereas the other one was shown to us. A smirk crawled upon his lips, wrinkles forming near his eyes and on his cheeks.
The look on his face seemed familiar, the same one which he gave me when I agreed to meet Jinyoung's father, the same which he gave me when I shot Jinyoung.
He was proud of my craziness.
And this haunted me.
"You came." His hoarse, tired voice filled the area now. He took a step forwards showing his entire self to me. His existence enlightened by the yellow glow, from the sign above him.
"Obviously I'm here dad." I smiled at him, not showing any sort of nervousness to him.
"We need to catch up on many things, don't we?" he placed his hands in his pockets, strolling forward towards me.
"We surely do, but before that why don't you dismiss them." I pointed at everyone else in the area except me and dad.
"Not that easily, they too have to pay the debt." My heart squeezed, anger flared up inside me.
"You needed me, why pulling them in?" I took steps ahead until we were close enough to attack.
"They are the reason why you fled away, so they become equal criminals."
"You're wrong, your craziness and evilness was the sole reason why we fled away, not them." I snapped pointed my finger at him.
"You were my masterpiece, I molded you and made you unique yet they tried to indulge in my business, and tried to steal away what was mine. And you it very well I hate people who indulge in my business." The words were enough to blow the trigger; I wasn't able to pull myself together anymore.
I don't belong to him.
"I never belonged to a monster like you! I am different and better than you, I am me!" I howled at his face, grabbing his hand, which stroked my hair, and pushed it away.
"How dare you..." he growled, his trigger blown. The veins on his neck stared to become visible and his face became crimson with fury.
"Dad just give up, live your life peacefully and let us live it too!" I closed my eyes, my drained body protesting this endless war to end.
"Do you think all my efforts were futile? I don't think the same. I'll get what I want and then they must live their lives as if you never existed." He said his gaze burning holes in my existence.
"Dad that's never gonna happen, once again I give you time to retreat peacefully. It's the final chance and warning I am throwing at you, catch it if you want to end peacefully." I was getting agitated by his useless stubbornness, if he keeps on doing this, I'll have no choice than to raise the weapon at him.
"Don't try to look down on me, I'm never gonna quit or back off." He paused and looked at Jaehyun, who still tackled Jinyoung on the ground in the same excruciating position.
"Kill them so that she knows her real place, which she forgot." His words rang in my mind, before my head snapped towards Jaehyun and the other person, who pulled out their guns at Jinyoung's and Jackson's temple.
A trembling breath escaped my mouth, like a glimmering cloud slowly fading in the thin air of the cold night. My eyes met Jinyoung's, who looked at me, his eyes begging me to stop what I was about to do.
"Run." he softly said, his eyebrows knitting together, his face shining under the limelight.
Never again!
I bit my inner cheek so rashly that I could feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. Turning my head to see dad, I could feel the heat rush up to my face as he looked at me with the same look which I hated the most. The look which said I won.
Dropping the larger gun I pulled out the pistol from the inner pocket of my jacket. I ran towards him pushing him to the nearest wall, using the raging strength in me.
He was caught off guard as he looked at me wide eyed, groaning. Firmly grasping over his shoulder I pushed him to the wall harder, the protruding out metal bar tearing through his flesh. I could feel the sticky liquid staining my hand but this time wrath was blinding me, driving me utterly crazy.
"Don't you dare." I pushed the words through my gritted teeth; finally I was able to show him that I wasn't scared of him anymore.
"Do you think killing you dad like this will lift up the guilt you are trying to wash away?" Hearing the word dad made my heart stop for a moment but looking at his smirking face, I was outraged.
"Yes, indeed." I said and secured the gun over his temple securely, a smirk crawling upon my face distinctly.
"Are you really going to kill your dad, for these mere strangers? Despite everything I was the one who made you grow up to be a normal human being. It's all because of Appa, Hanbin. "
What was he trying to do? His face displayed a facial expression, which I never ever saw on his face. It was somewhat like...hurt and disappointment.
Dad
The word rang in my head. How am I supposed to hurt him? What was I thinking? After all he is my dad who taught me how to walk, how to speak, made me grow up without a mother figure.
"Your perception about me was utterly wrong." I mumbled feeling the cold metal trigger press under my cold finger.
Jaebeom's POV:
Looking down from the tall building, I grabbed the two guns in my hand, one aiming at Jaehyun and the other on the person aiming at Jackson. I was ready to fire, but Hanbin's sudden action made everyone at the scene halt. She shoved dad to the nearest wall, despite knowing that he was hurt by her action.
"Do you think killing you dad like this will lift up the guilt you are trying to wash away?" Emotional blackmailing, he always used his tactic at me, and now he's carrying on with his pathetic act with her.
I thought Hanbin wouldn't really care about his words his next words even made my heart soft, but I can't get caught in his web this time. Hanbin stared at him her gun still aimed at his temple yet the other hand's grip got really loose, as if she was double minded.
My gaze travelled to dad's hand which gestured something to Jaehyun. My eyes enlarged and heart wrenched with both disgust and hurt, as Jaehyun slowly swapped his target from, Jinyoung to Hanbin's back.
"Hanbin watch out!" Jinyoung yelled and I pulled the trigger of the both guns, but this time not only two gunshots echoed in the alley but four of them...
In front of my bare eyes they got shot.
"HANBIN!"
Jinyoung's POV:
"Hanbin watch out!" I yelled, as Jaehyun diverted the direction of his pistol towards Hanbin.
I expected a bullet to fire from any side but not four of them, falling of the empty coverings of the bullets fell on the pavement following on with painful grunts.
Hanbin's Dad
Jaehyun
The guy who aimed at Jackson
And
Hanbin.
"No..." I managed to push out the words, before rushing towards the struggling figure in front of me. She was shot but it felt as if seeing her like this shredded my heart into million pieces, tearing apart each and every fabric my body.
Whimpering like a kid I rushed towards her, who stood clutching her side with one hand yet the other held the gun, which was now warm because of the bullet which just fired out of it, slipped out of her grasp it fell on the ground, making a chucking sound as it came in contact with the rough ground.
I grabbed her shoulders, letting her gain support but her body went limp in my hands, she almost slipped from my embrace but I held her close, I held her tighter not ready to let go.
"H-Hanbin stay with me..." I caressed her cheek, my tears staining her bruises filled cheeks. Her breathing was slow, cold sweat formed on her forehead yet her one hand clutched hard on the wound and the other grabbed the hem of my white shirt, leaving blooded finger prints.
I took my jacket off and wrapped it around her waist, tightly preventing further blood loss. The side of her stomach was hurt and I knew that this could be fatal, yet I tried my best to let her stay with me.
I wiped away my tears harshly, nagging myself for acting so childishly in this situation.
She will be fine.
I repeated in my head continuously and grabbed her hand which was ice cold now, my heart once again sank. Tears once again made their way down my cheeks almost automatically. Sobbing, I rubbed her hand with mine trying to make it warm. She lifted her blooded hand and placed it over mine, my eyes caught the ring, which I recognized instantly.
'She never forgot me.'
"Why are you crying? Now everything's fine." her voice came out to be a bare whisper, eyes almost closing and skin as pale as a dead person.
"Jackson bring the car!" I yelled gripping her hand firmly, not at all wanting to let her go.
"Hanbin stay with me, everything will be fine." I managed to blurter, hugging her close to me.
"I'm sorry for making your life a hell." I closed my eyes, hearing her heartbreaking words.
"Y-you never did." I whispered the broken words into her ear, running circles on her back.
"I-I'm sorry for hurting you..." She sobbed softly; I brushed away the hair which covered her face. Her eyes travelled to look in the surroundings but I turned her face towards me not wanting to show her the gruesome surroundings.
"I-is he dead? Is my D-dad dead?"
"H-he should be, or else if I don't survive today he will kill everyone." Hearing her words my heart broke into millions of irreparable pieces. I know her very well, she never wanted to kill her dad, and she loved him. After all he was her father, she wanted him to become a better human being and start over again.
Taking in a fresh gasp of air, she started to cough, not normally but blood trickling out of her mouth. I panicked, shaking her figure.
"Hanbin reply to me!" I screamed, placing her ice cold hand on my chest, crying audibly. I looked around just to meet a pile of dead bodies surrounding us, Hanbin's dad also one of them. His eyes wide open and blood spilling around him.
He should have died alone; he can't take her with him! She needs to stay with me!" I wailed calling out for help.
"Jinyoung we can't find any cars, everything is destroyed outside. And there aren't any hospitals nearby." My head snapped back and registered what Jackson just said.
"There must be some way! Call the emergency numbers; she is losing so much blood!" I shouted utterly devastated.
"Jinyoung how we can call the emergency numbers, we all aren't on the place to do that. You know that very well, we were always different from the common people, they never accepted us. That's how we are born and that's how we die, hidden." Jaebum knelt in front of me, running a hand through Hanbin's hair, his eyes were dark and it looked as if his world came to an end. He didn't look in the right state of his mind, I never saw this man in this condition.
"No! There must be a way!" I whispered yelled, breathing lowly. Silence poured in between us four; just the sobs were the only sound except the wind howling with us.
What Jaebeom said pricked me the most; we are also normal human beings, just born in a bit more weird and a bit more devastated households than normal people. Can't we be granted another chance; does the rule of humanity end on us? Why are humans so cruel?
Her body lived for her yet her soul was devoted to make everything right for everyone. She made mistakes but rather than finding the real guilty, she lived her life with a raging anger towards her. Her rage towards herself kept her alive, telling her to fight for others and to make up for her mistakes, even if in reality she wasn't the real blameworthy.
I'm sorry Hanbin, for understanding you so late.
"Yugyeom?" I heard Jackson say, I and Jaebeom both looked at the younger boy who stood near us. His face swollen and cuts displayed on every inch of his face.
"I hope I'm not too late, to rescue my friend." He said a sadistic yet genuine smile settled over his lips.
END.
A/N: Hello people! Finally my book has come to an end. It was all work of my own imagination, and I had so much fun writing it, as I was able to portray own story on a platform, where people can read it and maybe enjoy it. I hope you guys like this book...Sincere thanks to all of you who read and shared their thoughts openly. An epilogue will be following on soon and I will also edit the book from the very start too.
If you guys have any questions to ask from me or any character, I'll happily respond to them. Love you all so much!
12-9-20.