The Black rose (Minsung ff)

A rose will wither

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft patterns on the floor of Jisung's room. He sat on the edge of the bed, fingers absently tracing the scar on his shoulder, a painful reminder of his escape attempt. The chains that had once bound him were gone, and for the first time in weeks, he felt a sense of freedom. Yet, the absence of those cold metal cuffs left him with an unsettling sense of vulnerability.

Minho hadn't returned since their emotional confrontation two days ago. Jisung had expected him to burst through the door, his face a mask of intensity and possessiveness. Instead, the silence weighed heavily, and Jisung found himself spiraling into thoughts he couldn't quite articulate. Was he truly safe, or was he merely waiting for the storm to return? This was toxic.

As the minutes stretched into hours, he began to wonder if Minho was regretting his decision to let him go. His heart raced at the thought, a mix of fear and something else—something he was hesitant to name.

"Minho..." Jisung whispered into the stillness, a longing for the man who had turned his world upside down.

The door creaked open, and his breath caught in his throat. It wasn't Minho but Jeongin, his face a mixture of concern and determination.

"Hey," Jeongin said softly, stepping inside. "How are you holding up?"

Jisung shrugged, trying to muster a nonchalant demeanor. "I'm fine."

Jeongin raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "You've been through a lot. I know it feels overwhelming."

"I just... I don't understand him," Jisung admitted, frustration bubbling to the surface. "One minute, he's protecting me, and the next, he's scaring me. I don't know what to think."

Jeongin nodded, sitting down next to him. "Minho has a complicated past. He's not just a mafia leader; he's a survivor. And the things he's been through... they've changed him."

"What do you mean?" Jisung asked, genuinely curious.

"Minho was just a kid when he got pulled into this world," Jeongin began, his voice softening. "He lost everything, his family, his innocence. He was raised to be ruthless, to suppress emotions. But underneath that tough exterior, he's still haunted by the things he's experienced."

"Like what?" Jisung pressed, feeling an unsettling mix of empathy and confusion.

Jeongin took a deep breath. "Me, minho hyung and chan hyung were taken in by Lee Jae-young after we escaped something. She trained him to be a weapon, to kill without hesitation. But there was a time when he was just a scared boy trying to survive. When she was killed, it shattered him."

Jisung's heart ached at the thought of Minho as a child, lost and afraid. "But he's not that boy anymore."

"No, he's not," Jeongin replied. "But those memories still linger. He pushed everyone away because he thought that would protect him. Because he thought it would protect everyone. And then you came along."

"What do you mean?" Jisung asked, his brow furrowing.

"You broke through his walls, Jisung. He's scared of that. Scared of letting anyone in again. He thinks if he gets close to you, he'll lose you too."

The weight of Jeongin's words settled over Jisung like a heavy blanket. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was navigating a minefield. Minho was both a protector and a danger, and the lines between love and fear were beginning to blur.

"I think I might be falling for him," Jisung confessed, his voice trembling. "But what if that's just Stockholm syndrome? What if I'm just... broken?"

Jeongin shook his head, placing a comforting hand on Jisung's back. "It's not that simple. Emotions can be complicated, especially in situations like ours. Just be honest with yourself about what you feel."

Before Jisung could respond, the atmosphere shifted. The door swung open again, and this time it was Minho. His presence filled the room, dark and commanding, but Jisung could see something different in his eyes—hollowed by exhaustion, yet burning with intensity.

"Jisung," Minho said, his voice low and gravelly, as if he had been holding back a storm. "We need to talk.

Jisung's heart raced. He exchanged a glance with Jeongin, who nodded and stood up, sensing the tension in the air.

"I'll be outside," Jeongin said, his voice barely above a whisper. He slipped out, leaving Jisung alone with Minho.

"What do you want, Minho hyung?" Jisung asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I want to explain," Minho replied, taking a step closer. "Everything that's happened... it's because of me."

Jisung felt a mix of anger and confusion surge within him. "You don't get to put all this on yourself. You think I'm just going to accept whatever you say and forget the fear you've put me through? I thought that after what happened 2 days ago you'd change a bit atleast.."

Minho's expression faltered, and for a moment, the mask he wore cracked. "I know I messed up. I don't want to hurt you. But I don't know how to do this."

"Then figure it out!" Jisung snapped, his frustration bubbling over. "You can't just keep pushing me away. I want to understand you, but you need to let me in."

Minho's eyes darkened, and for a brief moment, Jisung saw the boy Minho once was, lost and desperate for connection. "I can't lose you, Jisung. Not like I lost everyone else."

The raw vulnerability in Minho's voice made Jisung's heart ache. He could see the scars etched into Minho's soul, the battles he fought every day, both inside and out.

"Then don't shut me out," Jisung pleaded. "We can face this together."

Minho clenched his jaw, the tension in his body palpable. "You don't know what you're asking for."

"Try me," Jisung urged, stepping closer.

After a tense silence, Minho finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was seven when everything changed. My father was in the mafia, and my mother... she was innocent. When they came for us, I hid, but I could still hear the screams. The gunshots. The way it felt to lose everything in an instant."

Jisung's breath caught in his throat as he listened, his heart breaking for the child Minho had been. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Minho continued, his voice trembling with the weight of memories. "After they were gone, I was taken in by Lee Jae-young. She was powerful, but she wasn't kind. I was trained to kill, to be a weapon for her. I became ruthless, learned to bury my feelings, to turn off everything that made me human."

Jisung's chest tightened as he absorbed Minho's pain. "That sounds... awful."

"It was," Minho admitted, his eyes clouded with regret. "But it was all I knew. When Jae-young was killed, I promised myself I would never let anyone in again. I would never be weak."

"But you let me in," Jisung said, his voice softening.

"I didn't mean to," Minho said, his voice heavy with emotion. "You came in like a storm, and I didn't know how to fight it. I don't want to lose you the way I lost her. I don't want to be that boy again."

Jisung stepped closer, his heart pounding in his chest. "You don't have to be that boy anymore. I'm here. I won't leave you.."

Minho's gaze softened, a flicker of hope igniting within him. But then his expression darkened again, the weight of his past pressing down like a shroud. "But I might lose control, Jisung. You don't know what I'm capable of."

"Show me," Jisung replied, his voice firm. "Show me who you really are."

Minho's breath hitched, the intensity of their connection crackling in the air. "You have no idea what you're asking."

"I told you, hyung. Try me," Jisung urged again, stepping even closer, until they were mere inches apart.

The moment hung between them, electric and charged. Minho could see the determination in Jisung's eyes, the fire that ignited something within him.

Just then, Felix appeared at the doorway, interrupting the charged atmosphere. "Minho, we really need to—"

Minho's expression shifted, hardening as he turned to face Felix. "Not now."

Felix nodded, sensing the intensity in the room. "Fine. But we're running out of time."

Minho clenched his jaw, the storm within him brewing once again. "I'll be there in a minute."As Felix stepped away, Jisung turned back to Minho, his heart racing. "You have to go, don't you?"

"Yeah, But I'll be back.. I promise."