Madman [Hwang Hyunjin ff]

16

Everybody gathered in the living room, already dressed as if we were about to go on a mission. Usually, when they were called with such urgency, it was because of some last-minute call I had received.

However, this time was different. I had received no last-minute call. Instead, I had received an indirect death threat.

I was leaning on the wall, while the others gathered in a circle. I couldn't avert my gaze from my fingers, still fidgeting in nervousness.

Someone cleared their throat, stating that they were all waiting for me to say something. I took a deep breath.

- Jeongin, please, can you tell them? - it's not that it was my first death threat. It was the first that they would actually be legitimated to carry out. Before, they had no way of killing me without starting a gang war. But now, the gang war had started the split second that Seojoon's body hit the floor.

Jeongin failed at telling them. I lifted my gaze, seeing his big worried eyes, his little hands trembling with anxiousness.

- Please... - my voice broke. I could not speak at that moment. It was as if all the words had been drained from my throat. The realization of what dying actually means had rushed over me, making it impossible for me to explain the situation to the others. Dying would have meant loosing all I had. Loosing them, which had represented most of my life, and filled all my memories. Just one bullet, and all of this could disappear.

For the first time in seventeen years, I felt weak. I felt fragile. Anxiety and overthinking had taken over.

Jeongin inhaled deeply. Everybody turned toward him, expectantly.

- The whole gang of Seojoon's is looking for Eun. She sets foot out of this house, and she is dead. -

The others did not speak. Maybe they had expected it, or maybe they just hadn't had enough time to process the information. In any case, the room was dead silent.

After some seconds, Minho broke the silence.

- So... should we come up with a plan? -

- A plan for what? - it was Jisung, clearly panicking - She is already dead. There is no plan we can come up with. It's not like the nine of us can kill a whole other mafia organisation by ourselves! - he was almost tearing up from all the rage he had in him - And it's your fucking fault! - Jisung pointed at Hyunjin, who averted his gaze from the floor - You had to fucking kill him, didn't you?! You couldn't have waited for Minho?! - Jisung was dumping all his rage on Hyunjin, who, in turn, was growing angrier and angrier.

- I wish you knew how the fuck it feels like! I wish it was your sister, your mother and father! All of them, killed in front of you at the same time! - Hyunjin was now standing right in front of Jisung, towering over him. His eyes were teary.

- At least you got to know them! - Jisung replied, matching Hyunjin's aggressiveness.

- Do you think I'm happy with what I did?! I endangered the life of the one person I love the most! - Hyunjin was breathing heavily, few tears running down his cheeks.

Jisung didn't dare replying, and the whole room fell silent once again.

I was still processing the fact that Hyunjin had indirectly confessed to me, when my phone started buzzing. It was my father calling.

I hesitantly pressed the button to answer the call, my hands shaking. I did not want to talk to him in such a state, but if I decided to ignore his call, the consequences might have been much worse.

- H-hello? -

- Hi dear, can you put me on speaker? - it was not my father's voice. It was the voice of a man I did not recognize. It was raspy and deep, with a threatening tone. I panicked while I pressed the speaker's button.

- You're on speaker now. - I informed the person on the other side. Now, my mind was racing throughout all the possibilities of who he was. Out of all, it was the worst.

- Thank you, Eun. Now, as you know, you guys killed Seojoon, my lovely brother. - I never knew Seojoon had a brother, let alone in his own gang. - He was really nice to me, but he was also really important in our ranks... -

His voice did not sound hurt nor affected at all by the loss. He sounded evil, his voice possessed by revenge.

- Your father has come to apologise and set things straight once again... do you want to talk to him? - My eyes widened at the question. A question which I wasn't supposed to answer.

After a couple of seconds of silence, the trembling voice of my crying father could be heard.

- E-Eun, baby. - He was sniffling. - I-I am so s-sorry. Stay with your brothers. -

The line went back to Seojoon's brother.

- So sad... Anyway... - I knew he was evilly smirking. - As they say... an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. - I unknowingly started to tear up. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. - Say goodbye to daddy, Eun. - A light chuckle echoed in the room.

Bang.

- Now, I'm coming after you and that little guy. - Another laugh, then the call disconnected.

I fell to the floor, my knees giving up on me. I had no strength whatsoever to stand, so I curled myself up in a ball and sobbed there on the cold marbled floor.

My mind was clouded, I couldn't hear or see anything. I was completely unaware of my surroundings, I felt like I was being pulled down by an immense weight which was crashing me.

If I had actually had the strength to analyze the people around me, I would have seen all of them crying silently.

My heart was pounding, I could feel it pulsating in my neck, my legs, my fingers and my stomach. My whole body was trembling, and my ears were ringing.

I had lost the last bit of my family. And I felt like it was my fault. I was not there to save him, and I had not warned him when he told me he would have met them. It was all my fault.

With those thoughts, I kept on desperately crying on the floor until I had no more strength to even stay awake. That's when I felt my body being lifted, and I lost consciousness.