pointed teeth || iz*one

28

The girl draped her blazer over the back of something similar to a church pew and collapsed onto a large leather ottoman.

"Mmh," she tugged off a combat boot, "that's better. I'm sorry, I really am. My squad was definitely not supposed to destroy anything. We were supposed to just retrieve our target.

"Is there anything I can do right now to make your stay here comfortable as my team repairs your home? I'll get a truck to deliver everyone safely back once they're done."

"H-How about letting me breathe?" Yuri wheezed, struggling against the restraint of a thick rope around her neck.

The girl simply sighed lazily and crossed her legs.

"Let her go," she said boredly. The sound of a lever being lifted up with a heavy grunt filled the room and ended with a loud echo of metal against stone.

Yuri crumpled to the ground, landing heavily on her knees with a sharp wince before slumping over. She brought her tied hands to her red throat, taking in deep shaky breaths and coughing.

"I was kidding just now. I'm not going to kill anyone," the girl sighed.

Yujin raised her hand. (Student reflexes?)

"Do you want to say something?"

Yujin nodded. "If you aren't going to kill any of us, could you let us go home?"

"Sure. In a while though, your barn is still being repaired. It shouldn't take too long."

The girl moved in a sophisticated manner. She did look expensive, though the school blouse and skirt were slightly dusted with soot. She made her way to Yujin and got down on one knee.

"But honestly, child? If the bureau granted us the privilege to kill, I'd have impaled all of the little ones - and that includes you - in a single shish kebab as a warning to Sakura by now before stabbing one of the older girls every ten minutes she takes to come." She tapped Yujin's cheek softly with her palm as she shot a devilish look at Hitomi.

"Could you also untie us?" Yujin said, trying not to bite the girl's hand. Her thumb was close to her lips; it would've been easy to jerk forward and snap the tip of it.

The girl stood up. "No."

She scanned the group of hostages. The elder ones seemed less concerned about themselves, rather taking care of the smaller ones.

She made her way back to her ottoman, looking bored. "I guess you're all wondering where you are.

"You are safe in the execution hall of one and only South Korean Monster Hunter Bureau."

"Sakura has sharp teeth! She'll rip the skin off your face!" Chaewon said, attempting to lurch forward.

"If you let us go we won't tell anyone that you damaged property and kidnapped minors!" Yena called out.

She received an icy glare.

The girl brought her index finger to her lips.

"Play games with me again and I bring one of you up to the rope." She jabbed a thumb in the direction of a large metal beam attached to the ends of two walls. Multiple nooses made of thick, durable rope hung down from it.

Attached to a lever, the nooses could be loosened and tightened, brought higher or lower depending on how it was pulled.

Yuri decided to keep still for now. Her windpipe felt bruised and crushed.

...

"Hyewon-ah," Sakura said shakily. A sliver of black tongue darted out to wet her lips.

"You okay?" Hyewon whispered.