Incarnadine | Prequel to "Viridescence"

9

20th September
2005

"H-Hoseok! It's not what it looks like!" Seonghwa blurts out while desperately pulling at Hongjoong's sleeve.

The buff man in front of them looks taken aback. Hongjoong stays standing right in front of the man. Seonghwa feels his heart twisting when he sees it. Why does it look like Hongjoong's eyes are sparkling with wonder?

"You heard everything?" Hoseok asks. Seonghwa frantically shakes his head but a smile grows on Hongjoong's lips. "Yes!"

A sigh escapes Hoseok and he looks around nervously, trying to think of what to do. "Let's go back home," he declares.

The three of them quickly reach the large yellow house and Hoseok instantly leads them into the kitchen where Hyungwon sits on his own. Hyungwon lifts his head and raises an eyebrow when he sees Hoseok leading the two young boys.

"They heard me shooting the...other guy," Hoseok explains to Hyungwon, avoiding eye contact. The leader looks up at the boys, stifling a giggle at the shaking Seonghwa.

"Well, I guess I'll tell you a few more things about us now. You-"

"Teach us how to use a gun too!" Hongjoong exclaims with a bright, toothy grin. Hyungwon stands up in his place and crosses his arms. He examines the boys and Seonghwa feels like he could lose consciousness at any second, unable to breathe properly any longer.

Hoseok shares a glance with Hyungwon, who simply smiles. "Sure! Both of you guys, leave the grown ups to talk for a bit," he instructs the younger boys. Hongjoong clenches his fist at this but smiles tightly. "We'll be in our room."

Seonghwa happily rushes up the stairs to their room with shaky legs and Hongjoong trails not too far behind. He slows down before placing a hand on Seonghwa's shoulder. The other boy jumps under his grasp, showing that he's on edge.

"You go on without me, I'll be there in a second. Okay, friend?"

Seonghwa nods, turning around right after and sprinting up the stairs. Hongjoong turns back to the kitchen door and lingers at it, smiling to himself when he can hear everything inside clearly.

"How can we teach children how to use a gun? They'll just piss their pants when they actually see that much blood for the first time," Hoseok complains to Hyungwon in a hushed tone. "Their age is actually perfect. They're young and impressionable so it'll be a piece of cake to make them listen to us. Plus, they don't have parents and were wandering around all alone so they have nowhere to get back to. You need to train them carefully," Hyungwon explains.

Hongjoong clenches his jaw as he hears Hyungwon speak and when Hoseok hums in acknowledgement afterwards.

These men are looking down on him.

He hurriedly scurries up the stairs when he hears footsteps in the kitchen again. As soon as he's back in their bedroom, he can sigh out of relief.

Should he tell the other boy about what he heard downstairs? He catches sight of Seonghwa staring down at his hands while shaking and decides against it. His friend is too innocent right now, he can't be trusted with this information.

Hongjoong smirks when the thought occurs to him. He may as well take advantage of this gang and what they teach him, the same way they plan to use him just because he's young. His teeth grind at the thought of all these adults looking down on him, deeming him as incapable. He'll show them all one day.

He'll get to learn new things and the gang will live in their happy little illusion for the next few weeks, it's a win-win situation.

Meanwhile, Seonghwa's mind won't stop racing. He picks at his fingernails anxiously. He's been helping out a gang for nearly a week now. Not only that, but they killed a man and Seonghwa heard it all. The sound of the gunshot spins around his thoughts and he can't calm his speeding heart.