Petals Stray Kids jeongchan

14

    "Get away from him!" A male voice shouted. A warning shot rang through the air. It zipped and entered the wall between Sicheng and Jeongin. The pair had very little reaction time before another fired into the ceiling.

   "Jeongin lets go! He's too dangerous for you to be around!" Bang Chan exclaimed as he closed in towards them. Not far behind him Kard, Stray Kids, and Exodus followed.

"Jeongin, run! Find Chenle and Jisung, they're best suited!" Sicheng shouts. He stands in front of the younger boy protectively.

"This is my fight, Sicheng they're here for me! Pass me a pistol, I'll be fine!" Jeongin yelled back. He stood up from the couch and gently moved Sicheng out of his way.

"Come on, kid. They're not safe—"

"Oh and you four were? You're pretty funny Somi! I still have your cigarette burn scars!" Jeongin sneered. He rolled his eyes and turned the safety off on his handgun. He raised the metal pistol in the air, a blazing fire raged in his eyes.

"Wait, how do you know Kard?" Sehun questioned as he lowered his crossbow. His eyes shone the same confusion as everyone else's in the room.

"Jiwoo, would you like to tell them why I'm scarred? Why I flinch constantly? Why I spent majority of my teenaged years in a mental hospital?" Jeongin asked with fake excitement. A wide grin lit up his cheeks as he looked at the four adults who shifted under his gaze.

"You four should be ashamed of yourselves! You destroyed my childhood! My happiness! And all for what? Power that never came? Pathetic." Jeongin tearfully spat. His pointer finger shakily lands on the trigger.

"Jeongin—"

"I swore to myself if I ever saw you again, I'd kill you on the spot. No remorse, no regret, no hesitance. But I can't. I can't do it, no matter how badly you hurt me." Jeongin dropped to his knees as they buckled under him.

He moved the gun's tip from facing them to his own head. As the tears fell down his cheeks, he gave a crazed smile as he looked back up at the crowd who had frozen.

Bang Chan took a step closer. He stopped abruptly as he looked at Jeongin sadly

"This is what you four wanted right? My death? I'm done trying. I can't get better no matter what I try! Have fun with more blood on your hands!" He cried. He brought the gun closer to his mouth before it was pulled out of his hands. It was too late, he had pulled the trigger despite it being moved.

The bullet shot from the barrel, but missed its target: his skull. It instead lodged itself deep in Sicheng's stomach.

"I knew I'd regret giving you that gun." Sicheng laughed slightly despite the pain it caused. He held his hands over the wound.

"Sicheng, I'm-"

"Don't apologize for this, Jeongin. I should be thanking you, though. You're reuniting me with the only love I've ever known." He smiled and caressed Jeongin's cheek with his thumb, accidentally smearing blood in its wake.

"No! You can't leave me, Sicheng! We just started being friends, I can't lose you!" Jeongin wept. He tore the bottom part of his shirt and pressed it onto the wound.

"Which one of you knows medicine? Please! Any of you, help!" His cry almost passed unnoticed from the twenty-one gang members.

"Please, please! I'm losing Johnny too, I can't lose Sicheng! Please!" Jeongin begged. Hyunjin was the first to step forward.

"You're only pushing the bullet farther in, kid. Remove your cloth, I'll try my best." He promised as he knelt on the floor beside Sicheng. Blood poured from his mouth and wound.

"I won't lie, man, this is gonna hurt like heck." Hyunjin warned before he quickly pulled the bullet out of Sicheng's stomach. He took the cloth back from Jeongin and applied pressure.

"He's passed out from blood loss. Get gauze and call a hospital, now! Warn them I'm coming with a wounded male." Hyunjin barked as he wrapped the gauze and bandage tightly around his waist.

Hyunjin and Seungmin carry Sicheng out of the house, and zip away in a car.

Jeongin still knelt on the floor, Sicheng's blood on his hands and cheeks. His hands raked through his hair shakily.

"I- I killed him. I infected Johnny... I'm a monster!" He shouted as loud as he could.

"Jeongin, you aren't a monster." Jseph began. He stood awkwardly beside the boy he once tortured.

"All I've done this week is cause pain and destruction. Johnny has Hanahaki, I shot Sicheng. Maybe I should have skipped class Sunday like I wanted."

"Kard, just take me again. I deserve it this time. I accept the punishments you give me." Jeongin finished. He bowed his head shamefully as tears mixed with the blood on his cheeks.

"Who's punishing who? Jeongin, why do you have three other gangs in my house!" Taeyong asked as he opened his front door. He and Jaehyun ran towards Jeongin and stood in front of him.

   "Don't try to protect me, guys. I deserve it." Jeongin spoke defeatedly. He sighed and wiped his cheeks with his hands. He noticed how bloodied his hands were and broke down once more.

   "Jeongin, what did you do?" Jaehyun softly asked. He shoved Jseph away and knelt beside him. Jaehyun gently took Jeongin's crimson hands in his own and rubbed small circles on their tops.

   "I made Johnny sick. I shot Sicheng instead of myself. I messed up bad, Jae." Jeongin flatly said. He conveyed no emotion as he sat still, surrounded by the puddle of his friend's blood.

   "I'm not going to say it's okay, you've taken down two of my best men. But, I know it wasn't intentional. Learn from this situation, Jeongin. You still have time to grow and change from your actions." Taeyong spoke and gently smoothed Jeongin's messy hair down.

   "Alright I've had enough! Why are you both so close with him?" Bang Chan asks as he stomps closer, his pistol heavy in his palm.

   "We let him choose when and how to get close to us. We weren't pushy or demanding like you." Jaehyun poked his finger into the center of Bang Chan's chest.

   "Pushy? I've given him a week! How was I supposed to know he would be treated with human decency here?" Bang Chan responded with his pistol in Jaehyun's chest.

   "Stop!" Jeongin screamed. His throat was scratchy from the amount he had cried.

   "Please, don't hurt Jaehyun. He cared for me so much these few days I've been here. Here, I've never felt out of place or odd. They all just accepted me and moved on, though there were a few bumps in the road."

   "Why do you have hickeys? And whose clothes are you wearing?"

   "The clothes are Johnny's, but if I tell you who gave me the hickeys you'll kill him. I really don't want any more blood on my hands than there already is." Jeongin confided half way.

  "I won't kill him, I promise. I just.. need to speak with him." Bang Chan asked more than said. He lowered his gun and placed it in its holster.

   "Have everyone else you brought here leave, and then we'll see." Jeongin sharply spoke to the older male. Bang Chan sighed and nodded his head. Once everyone left- Jeongin made sure- Jeongin spoke again.

   "Taeyong and Jaehyun get to sit in with us." Jeongin ordered.