jangmi (장미) ● taejoon

t w e n t y s i x .

"Wake up."

Water is splashed into Namjoon's face. It was three AM, and the moon had already settled in. His body was tied down to a chair, and blood poured down to his leg, enough to leave him sickly pale.

He was forced away, leaving his mind to suddenly blare and flinch. He coughs and shakes his head, before hissing at the pain shooting throughout his thigh.

He looked around only to see a dim cement room. Only him and the woman who shot him. Looking down at his wrists to see handcuffs he couldn't cut himself out of.

"You'll be seeing someone in a couple hours now," she says, "... I need to make sure you're ready to be presented..."

"... W-What are you saying?" Namjoon squinted, his head heavy.

She crossed her arms, "I need you to bleed for me, sweetie. Can you do that?"

"Wh-"

She grabbed him forcefully by the hair before colliding her fist with his nose. Punching strong enough the chair leaned back before she slammed it back down with her foot between Namjoon's thighs. He could feel the hard impact of thick gold. She was wearing golden knuckle brasses, and they were painful.

She cut Namjoon's nose, and blood dripped from his nose immediately. He lurched his head forward, spitting out the blood his tongue tasted.

With the knife she used back in the car, she uses the blade to lift Namjoon's chin up. His head tilts upwards, his body not being able to understand the situation. He began to drift in and out of consciousness caused by not eating all day and the built up fatigue. He would've dealt with the pain more better if he had all his strength.

His nose is too painful to breath out of, so he takes small breathes from his mouth. His eyes seeing blotches of blurriness.

She hits him again, more blood gushes. "Gang leader, huh?" she laughs, "Look at you, you can't even keep yourself together. You weren't even a challenge."

Namjoon grunts, his head swaying back. Spitting out saliva mixed blood. "I did nothing wrong," he says, "... Why do you have to do this?"

"I only obey commands," She says, taking the brasses off for a moment to crack her knuckles. "Whatever you did made the boss hunt for blood."

"... I did nothing wrong," he repeats into a whisper, "Nothing."

The woman drops the brasses onto the floor, holding her knife once more and pressing it against his left cheek. "That's what criminals say to the jury," she hums, pressing the blade into his skin.

He winces, groaning as she drags it over his skin. Slicing thinly, the feeling of a long papercut.

"... Here's a heart for being a gentleman earlier," she says with a hint of sarcasm. "Show the ladies you have a heart."

Blood deeper through his cut skin. She cut a heart onto his cheek. She was insane.

His face began to swell.

Hoping that the pain would finally let him pass out again.

[unedited]