nyctophilia
[ nĭk′tə-fĭl′ē-ə ]
n.
a preference for the night or darkness
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"Oh we're definitely killing them then, I need to pad my stats anyway."
"You sound like a serial killer."
"I know, I still wonder why...
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A week had passed since Eden and I visited my parents’ graves in Incheon. It was always a bittersweet trip, but this time felt heavier. Our other relatives didn’t even bother to reach out, not that I ever expected them to. They’ve always looked down on both me and Eden. To them, we’re like the family’s black sheep—Eden for leaving a promising career to run an “unknown boutique,” and me for…existing, I guess. My father’s success as a businessman loomed over us like a shadow we could never escape.
If only they knew the truth.
When we returned to headquarters, we weren’t even fully through the door when Wooyoung came running, his voice echoing through the halls: 'HONGJOONGIE HYUNG IS GONNA DIEEEEEEEE!'
Eden and I exchanged panicked glances and bolted to the infirmary. The sight that greeted us made my stomach drop. Hongjoong was lying on the bed, heavily bandaged—almost like a mummy. Rihyun stood beside him, her expression grim, hands fiddling with the edges of her coat.
“What happened?” Eden’s voice was sharp as he crossed his arms, his worry barely hidden beneath the stern tone.
Rihyun glanced up, her usual confident demeanor replaced by exhaustion and sadness, “Some intruders crashed the boutique. They were about to find the entrance to headquarters, but Hongjoong stepped in to investigate.” Her voice faltered as she added, “He got shot…five times.”
“Five times?!” I exclaimed, stepping closer to the bed.
Eden’s face tightened, though he kept his composure. “Were any of the shots to vital areas?”
Rihyun shook her head, though her expression didn’t brighten, “No, but it was close. Two bullets hit his shoulders, one struck each leg, and the last…” Her voice trailed off as she gestured toward his abdomen, “The last one almost hit a vital organ.”
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest, “Then what happened?”
Yunho walked into the room, his usual cheerful energy subdued. “Jongho and San took care of the intruders. They couldn’t kill them since the fight happened in the boutique, but they neutralized the threat.”
“Yeosang and Mingi cleared all the footage.” Rihyun added.
Eden pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly trying to process everything. “And the boutique?” he turned to ask Yunho.
“It’s a mess. We hired handymen for the structural damage, and Wooyoung’s already placed an order for replacement fabrics. They’ll arrive in two days. Thankfully, the repairs won’t cost much.” Yunho replied.
