The Crown | myg

forty-one

"Please tell me you're okay," Daehyun speaks as he takes me off of his shoulder and puts me on the grass behind some tree line. "Please, please."

"I'm fine," I say as I take some time to move each of my limbs to make sure I haven't suffered any fatal damage or broken bones. When each of my limbs moves on its own without any pain, I smile a little knowing that I can still help my squad in their time of need. They need a leader, and I need to be that for them.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Daehyun's voice breaks. His hands come to cup my face and he pulls me in to kiss him. I cup my hands around his wrists and kiss him back, longingly, passionately.

"If we make it out of this alive," I say as I rest my forehead on his. "Promise me you'll never leave me again."

He chuckles. "I promise."

Ruining our moment, gunshots are fired in the distance and I hear screams follow shortly after.

"We have to go," I say, pulling away from his embrace and standing up. "They need us."

"What's the plan?" Daehyun looks at me, his eyes filled with tears that he wipes away.

"They probably think I'm dead," I say as I put one hand on my hip and look down at the ground. "You move in from the middle of the street, make them believe that I burned to death in the explosion."

"There was no explosion."

I take his gun from his hand and fire it in the direction of the vehicle, the gunpowder residue from the bullet causing the vehicle to explode.

"You killed her!" A voice booms through the open air and everything falls silent.

"Now's your chance," I say. "Walk through the center of the street and make them believe I'm dead."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'll figure something out," I smile. "You just need to buy me some time."

Daehyun begins to walk away but I grab him by his arm and pull him back to face me. Without saying anything, I rip my earrings out of my ears, wincing a little at the pain.

"Hyuntae, what are you-"

I grab his hand with my free hand and place my blood-covered earrings into his hand. "I need them to think I'm dead, Daehyun," I say as I look into his worry-filled eyes. "You need to bring something of mine to them for proof or they'll never believe you."

"Did you really have to rip them out?" He whispers, his eyes trailing over to my ears, which are both leaking blood.

"I'm fine, I promise," I give him a reassuring look, followed by a kiss on the cheek and smile at him. "I'll see you on the other side, okay?"

He nods. "Okay," he fakes a smile and nods at me before giving me one last kiss on the lips. With a huge sigh, he turns away and begins to walk towards the others, his head hanging low as he pretends that I didn't make it out alive.