Believe

Chapter 18: Underground and Underlying Feelings (Part Two)

TRIGGER WARNING
violence

This chapter includes some inappropriate/triggering events that may cause discomfort to some readers. Please proceed with caution.

**

"OH MY GOD, PLEASE STOP!"

Impulse always results in regrets.

Always.

Jisoo knew this after she regretted not shutting up her mouth. Now, everyone else in the place is glaring at her. Yes, glaring and not looking. If their gazes are not sharp enough, they at least look at her with indifference or contempt.

Being in a dangerous place like this and having everyone else mad at you is not the best situation to be in.

The fighter who was in the ring dropped his spiked bat, creating a loud thud and furrowed his brows while scanning her appearance. He moved away from the scrawny kid before he started to walk towards her direction. She felt her body run cold.

Jisoo instinctively took steps backwards slowly. Her eyes stared at the big guy in fear, he locked eyes with her.

She didn't even move far when she was stopped by someone from the back who held her by her shoulders.

Slowly, she looked up to the stranger. He has long, messy hair in a man bun. He had tattoos from his arms until his neck. He laughed at her maniacally and she couldn't help but notice his pierced tongue.

The man pushed her forward and she stumbled before she could regain her balance. However, the moment she looked up, the fighter who jumped down from the ring was already in front of her. She took a big gulp.

"You're not part of this underground place," the man's voice boomed, the whole area silent. The people are in it for the show as they watch her.

"You don't belong here, little one," he added and grabbed some strands of her hair, examining it. He was about to sniff it but Jisoo pulled her hair away and walked backwards.

"Uhm... I was..." she felt her heart thumping, almost forgetting how to breathe. The man looked at her face. His eyes are blank.

"How did you find this place?" He asked, moving closer to her.

Just below the boxing ring, the spectators formed a semi circle giving space to them in the middle. Jisoo looked around in agitation. She doesn't feel safe under the stranger's eyes and she wants to avoid his creepy gazes.

"I... I got lost—" she fumbled on her sentences while he interrupted her.

"Yeah? How unlikely that is," he gave out a chuckle, one that sent shivers down her spine. He had his muscled arms over his chest, looking at her in slight amusement, "Lost in a place like this? Very convenient."

Then he began walking to her again.

"Say, do you take us as fools?" he asked, gesturing to the crowd watching who, in turn, laughed at his query.

"N-no sir," Jisoo mumbled. Her hands fidgeted and she was frozen in her spot as he closed their distance.

The man patted her on the head, "Good answer," he took out a pocket knife from the back of his ripped pants and bent down to her level.

He brought the knife closer to her cheeks as Jisoo's eyes welled up with tears, she closed her eyes shut when he moved his arms and spoke, "But someone like you going here is... stupid—"

"Stupid who, motherfucker?"

She felt a warm hand on her waist and heard the familiar voice.

Taehyung.