Genre/warnings: Mafia/gang AU (involves violence and probably swearing as well. The regular mafia stuff.)
Summary: He’d come just in time to save you, and now all that was left was to understand why you’d been threatened to such extents. You’d always thought how it was kind of beautiful and romantic how your and his past was basically the same thing - intertwined to such extents you couldn’t tell your lives apart. But as secrets were lifted from the ground, and harsh words spilled, you understood how much of a mistake this had been all along. And by thing you meant your whole relationship, dating back to the day you first met. As it was you who was supposed to get hurt all along. Not him.
(A/N) Part three will be posted sometime later during the week. Also, if anyone’s reading my fics on the full blog layout (or how do you call that thing) - I just got a new theme, as I felt like the old one was pretty, but not really all that handy. How’s the new one? I took sooo long trying to pick it, and I hope it was worth all the time and worries!
THIS IS PART 2 // PART 1 IS HERE
"Choi Junhong. 16 years of age. Without any proper experience, but a quick learner with a clear head and good intentions. Handle him with care," his low voice rang through the whole room, and Junhong felt three different stares directed at him, one seeming to be especially interested - probably because the guy seemed to be of a similar age, and maybe even had similar roots. That is,if everyone here was just as internally broken as Junhong.
Yongguk knew how to handle his men, as no one budged. They'd understood the message, and even if a few words would slip here and there, their actions would always go according to plan. That's how much they respected their leader, and nothing has changed up until now, even though he wasn't the man in charge anymore and was far from leading. He was still respected the most, and listened to on all occasions.
"Yoo Youngjae," Yongguk gestured for Junhong to look over at one of the guys, "A.k.a. the mastermind, but don't call him that, he'll take it too personal and will start acting too full of himself. With unbelievable amounts of cockiness and confidence, but he gets the job done better than any of us could. Don't be phased by the sarcasm.”
"Moon Jongup," he gestured to the guy with the seemingly interested stare, "Only a year older than you, actually. A murderous psychopath and maniac, if you ask me, but it all has it's roots. Nothing happened without a reason here. Might have a few screws missing, but is still a decent guy to have around. Keep an eye on him.”
"Kim Himchan. Your new mom basically-"
Laughs suddenly filled the room, and only Himchan himself pouted in disapproval and looked dissatisfied with the description. But that lasted only for a little, as he knew it was true, more or less at least, and in reality didn’t even mind to be introduced like that. He was always the one to look out for everyone.
"Why does Himchan-ah get a nice introduction and I get called "full of myself"-"
"Yeah, and I'm a murderous maniac all of a sudden-''
"At least you're not a supportive mom. Be glad, my position over here doesn't sound cool at all."
Despite the previous professional and serious atmosphere, only now Junhong noticed how theses guys weren't really all that cold and heartless. They sat around like friends, laughing and talking loudly, and it made Junhong feel a little glad at heart. Maybe he'd sit on the same couch and laugh alongside them as well sometime in the future. At least he hoped he would, as there was nothing left of his life and he didn't know where to go otherwise. It if wouldn't have been for a fortunate moment, Yongguk who was in danger and Junhong who had a too big heart to let injustice happen, he would've been probably dead already. So throwing his savior and new leader Yongguk another glance, he looked back at the other three.
"As I was saying, Kim Himchan. If you got any questions, go ask him. He probably knows better than I do. And when something's uncertain, trust his advice. He's been there long enough to knew what he's doing.."
Yongguk turned to face Junhong, and looked him dead in the eyes. He sure was intimidating, and Junhong felt so small if front of him back then. Although, he felt just the same nowadays as well, even after growing to be an almost meter ninety creature, being almost a head taller than everyone else.
"You're a part of this now, Junhong, you know what I'm saying? A part of a gang. Let it sink in, and take your time. But don't take too long. Now you have to work a lot to prove yourself, as well as get better so you can be of use. Just to help us survive, and survive yourself."
“A part of this" eventually became “a part of B.A.P” after the addition of Daehyun, who came to be the last to join around a year after Junhong. And when he got introduced, by Youngjae this time around, Junhong was right there where he'd wanted to be. And as it was his turn, he waited for the verdict.
"Choi Junhong. 17 years of age, our youngest member. Amazing flexibility, body control and movements. Despite growing like ten centimeters taller every day still the best at sneaking, alongside Jongup-ah. Quick learner. Decent shot. And the right hand of Yongguk hyung over there. Our key to success, basically."
* * * * *
“You’‘re not the real Junhong-ah,” your words were still echoing through his head, not letting him think straight. But he had to in order to prove you that you were wrong. He was still no other than the same boy from six years ago, just grown up. And a gang member now.
The real Junhong-ah.. Was he still there? Or did he eventually get lost after the murder of his parents, after the long travel across the country with only his brother left to move away and find a better way of life after everything that had happened? After the following encounters, and Yongguk's near-death situation that was more or less intentionally fixed by Junhong? The move back to Seoul to be with B.A.P, and all those years spent fighting for what turned out to be peace, justice and survival, always having his back exposed to the whole world, waiting if someone would come around to stab him...
After all of that, was that still the same heart he was carrying in his chest? Or had all of those things buried the real Junhong-ah somewhere underground already long ago?
The floor creaked as he walked forwards, and he slowly knelt down right in front of you so your faces would approximately be on the same level, trying to make his stare that met your scared one look as peaceful and calming as possible.
“Are you afraid of me?”
You considered. Should you be?
“No, I’m not.”
“Exactly, because I could never hurt you, alright?” he waited for you to slowly nod before continuing, “And I’m going to look out so no one else would be able to do that as well.”
“Who are you really?”
He bit his lip, considering. He knew what you meant by this – he’d kept a lot of secrets from you, this life he was leading nowadays being one of them. And you were giving him a chance, considering the fact you loved him. Giving him a chance to fix it up and tell you all about the new him. All you still didn’t know.
He stretched out his hand, making sure it was the non-bloody one this time around, and waited for you to place your own in his to give you a light, informal handshake. To introduce you to who he’d become over the years.
“I’m Zelo.”
* * * * *
“Well done, Junhong-ah,” Youngjae called, not sparing a second more than he needed on the crime scene and starting to walk off. Junhong looked at the dead body in front of him, putting the gun away and silently following Youngjae. Utter madness, that’s exactly what all of this was. He never thought he’d be able to take a life with such ease. But that was one hell of a bad guy. And someone who could exceed him with time. So he made sure to take care of it before it was too late. Before anyone would get hurt by him, and before he could train to become better than Junghong. Before Junhong would be taken care of first.
“I’m glad you’re on my team,” Youngjae looked back a little, not stopping from walking, „Because, to be honest, I’d be shitlessly scared to have you against me.”
“How comes?” Junhong wondered as he lingered behind Youngjae like a shadow. Like a very tall shadow, as he’d been growing quite a bit recently, making everyone a little jealous of his sudden growth sprout. Lite a tall, but surprisingly well-coordinated shadow.
“I’d be dead in a second otherwise."
Their steps could be heard all through the alleyway, filling it with barely audible thuds in unison. Junhong wondered - what was it about him that Youngjae feared oh so much? After all, if there was one person to never admit anything of such kind, it was Youngjae. He'd be too full of himself to say out loud that he was afraid or incapable. Or worse than somebody.
"You're the master of rivalry. The king of it. Hell, I'll be generous and call you the God of it. And this force that drives you to be the best in your field would probably pull me underground, as I wouldn’t be able to respond with the same type of logic or desire."
Rivalry.. A word he never really liked, as he felt it every time he was faced with someone who could be just as strong as him, or perhaps even stronger. Youngjae was quite observant and sharp-minded, so him noticing wasn't anything new or unusual. Yet Junhong kept considering if he really was so see-through, or if it was just a Youngjae thing to notice such details.
"When you go out on the field, if the other person wants it or not, you automatically make them your rival. The one in question to put you to rest, or maybe not, depending on what skills you possess, is whom you’ll fight against to your full potential, doing everything to win. And you won't let anyone off by just killing them. You'll make sure they know you were better at this than they were before putting them to sleep, which is exactly what rivalry is. Rubbing it into someone's face, but only after you'd really deserved the winning title."
"You're making it sound as a bad thing. Isn't that how you're supposed to handle the enemy?"
"The enemy, oh god," Youngjae laughed, making Junhong throw him a slightly irritated and questioning glance, "It sounds to funny when you're saying it, you're still so high-pitched. But well, depends on how you view it.."
"..Zelos."
Zelos.. It sounded quite familiar, but Junhong couldn't recall it in the least. Something he'd heard in school, perhaps? Although, he never paid attention to his classes anyways, so that was rather unlikely. Yet the name sounded like something he'd silently been carrying around with him for a little while already, and after being said such carelessly by Youngaje, he had to know the meaning.
"Zelos. The ancient Greek god of rivalry," Youngjae explained, looking satisfied with his knowledge, "But I don't think you're doing something wrong by taking every encounter personal. I shoot because I have to. You shoot to prove yourself. Whatever fuels you is good, and since you're young and lack experience, something as one-dimensional as this can easily be your reason to continue. And, my advice - as long as it works, clinge onto it. When you lose reason, you lose perception and sense of worry. And it ends rather quickly and lethal."
Youngjae mentioned for him to get into the driver's seat, and Junhong cursed a little. Driving was apparently an obligatory thing to learn, and he was rather bad at it, no matter how much Youngjae tried to properly teach him. His maneuvers being too sharp and his style too fast and reckless for anyone’s liking.
"Start the engine, Zelo," Youngjae said a little mockingly and looked at him happily, just to earn an puzzled glance.
"None of us really go by any other given names here, but, gotta be honest, don't take it personal. No one knows you around here yet, and I'm quite tired of our gang being known as "the gang with the new, tall kid". So how about another name, so my ears won’t have to suffer anymore?"
"Zelo.." Junhong repeated it once, letting it sink in. Short and solid, it kinda suited him well, or so he thought, at least. And he felt like he could maybe even make use of it.
"And if anyone laughs at it, I'll show them just how much I can do in order to shut them up.." he thought out loud, making Youngjae crack up.
"See? Told you," he said, mentioning for Junhong to start driving, "The freaking God of rivalry, you're thinking about it even now. Yeah, this suits you well. Keep it and don't let anyone smother the name in dirt or step on it. Become worthy of it, and don’t let it fade."
* * * * *
"Zelo?"
He was snapped back from his thoughts by your close to broken, questioning voice. His fingers slowly fully intertwined with yours, and he made sure you'd properly listen him out before saying anything else. After all that had happened, he didn't want you to fear him. He wanted to be your safe place for whatever it was that was going on in your life right now instead.
"Yes, Zelo. Youngest member of a six-piece gang called B.A.P. A decent shot, and well at sneaking around and investigating. The definition of rivalry, or so Youngjae hyung had said various times, at least-"
"It can't be."
Your other hand suddenly cupped his face, and he felt as if he was crumbling completely at the stare you gave him. Disbelief. Confusion. Pain and sorrows. Hurt. Disappointment. It was all there.
"Stop talking dumb and playing around, Junhong-ah, you dummy. You're a kind giant who can't swat a fly.. right?"
He sighed, looking back at the aftermath of the fistfight that had just occurred a moment ago. Your stare didn't follow his, as you weren't ready for the sight. You knew exactly there was a dead man. Dead by Junhong's actions. All of the punches thrown only to protect you.
"Not anymore," he looked back, his voice barely inaudible, "I've grown up. In the wrong environment. And this is who I am now. Garbage of society and a monster. But over all, someone who makes sure to take down people who are dangerous to others, like this guy over here. I’m someone who might not seem like it, but someone who.. Only seeks justice."
Sudden loud noise at the entrance door didn't let him properly continue his monologue, and he turned to face the door quickly. You felt your body being yanked into a standing position within less than a second, your little yelp being muffled as your face collided with Junhong's chest.
"Stay quiet and follow. There's someone there," he announced really fast, and pulled you along out to the balcony. Right after going around the corner, two figures appeared in the room, noticing their teammate lifelessly pinned in a sitting position against a wall and quickly hurrying to him, cursing and seeming disappointed that they'd be left doing the dirty work.
"How many?" you quietly asked, still pinned to his chest. This whole situation seemed so absurd, and you figured to shed tears another time. This wasn't the right moment to be all scared and emotional. This was a time you had to act calm in order to survive.
"Two," Junhong whispered back, pinning you closer. You felt how his arms twitched and his knuckles cracked, and you looked up at him, giving him a frustrated look.
"Don't you dare go back in there, Junhong-ah. I don't want you to get hurt," you hissed, making him flash a smile. Still Junhong-ah, even after all of this. And all you still did was just worry about him. Him - the boy who’d always be in for a fight when it came to protecting you. Since the first fight when you were only six, and he was around a similar age too.
"Yeah, I'd rather not do that. But we can't keep waiting here. They'll find out."
"What do you suggest then!? We're on the fourth floor with no escape!"
He knew this wasn't the time to joke around, but still felt quite amused by the situation. He looked at you with amusement and admiration, knowing all was as it had always been. You were your brave and mildly sarcastic self, not being phased by the situation even if you were scared to unimaginable extents. And he felt a new wave of affection and love towards you flowing through his bones. You gave him courage to try, and he chuckled quietly, leaning in and saying it right to your ear.
"What more do we need? You have a fire escape going from balcony to balcony all the way down, and you have me. Just hold onto me, and nothing’s going to go wrong-"
"What do you expect me to do? Clinge like a koala!?"
"Well, that was kind of the plan.. I wouldn't really be opposed to that," he pulled his frame further away from yours, looking you in the eyes.
"Just stay by me, and we'll be fine."
You didn't really clinge like a koala - truth is, that seemed quite inconvenient to you. But you still got a hold of his arm or any other body part you could reach every now and then, as it made you feel safe. Climbing around building exteriors might have been his specialty all along, but it was nowhere near yours. Yet his strong, welcoming grip made you fell a little at ease. At least you knew you wouldn't unwillingly go for the previously mentioned skydive. Or a free fall.
"Hey, look. It that isn't the tall guy from B.A.P?" a faint voice could be hear from upstairs, and you cursed to yourself. It took only a second for Junhong to pull you closer and a bullet to zap past your nose. That was a little too close, and you wondered if the next time around it would be even closer. Or would it be game over already?
"You mean Zelo?" the other figure walked up, smirking, "Oh, fuck. Who knew a girl like her had B.A.P tied around her finger?"
"You're quite famous, I hear," you mumbled into Junhong's chest, causing him to laugh.
"And you would be too after this incident. Too bad they won't live to tell about it though..."
Shots were fired all around on your way down, and there were three more steps left till the ground when Junhong seemingly had done his job, firing the last bullet. Helping you to hop down, he was quick enough to notice two more uninvited guests in the distance, making their way to the crime scene, but luckily not noticing you two. You couldn't stay here though, you had to leave.
"Himchan hyung!" you looked up at him, only now noticing he had pulled his phone out and had already dialed a number. Pulling you along behind a corner, he leaned down a little, continuing to talk. You were pulled into his chest, and using the situation, quietly stood and listened to the barely audible voice that could be heard through the speakers.
"Junhong-ah, you in trouble again?"
"Believe it or not, it's not me this time around. It's a.. friend of mine," he squeezed your shoulder a little, as if saying "sorry for just referring to you as "a friend" for now on”, "We're currently in my yard and need to be picked up asap not to get shot or something."
"Jongup's somewhere nearby in the area, he's got the van. I'll let him know," Himchan spoke, and without further ceremonies hung up.
"A friend..." you mumbled into his chest in a pouty tone, causing him to chuckle, "Say that one more time and I might friendzone you again. You deserve it."
"Glad to see you're not loosing your sense of humor and saltiness while having your life hanging on a thin line," Junhong chuckled, taking another moment to ruffle your hair with his nose. You had to wait now anyways, why not cuddle meanwhile? "Makes me love you even more."
"Love me at a more appropriate, less life-threatening time, please. Now's not the moment," you mumbled again, your statements seemingly always causing him to laugh.
"As you wish, babe. Everything for you."
You’d heard him say "Like a shadow, just like Jongup-ah" once while referring to something, and questioned who this Jongup he was talking about was. Junhong had quickly become intalkative, telling you he was just a friend who knew how to show up on the right time as unnoticed as possible. Now, upon finally meeting him, you realized that the vague description from back then had been an understatement. As soon as you walked around the corner, a van pulled out of the shadows, the door opening in seconds.
"M'lady," a hand was stretched out to you, and you took it hesitantly, seeing as Junhong climbed into the van meanwhile as well. Tires squeaked on the asphalt, and you were gone within seconds, hopefully without a trace.
"She's pretty, can I hit on her, or are you two like a thing?"
"The latter, Jongup-ah, the latter. Don't you dare to even consider it."
"Wow wow, calm down. I thought you told Himchan you were stuck here with "just a friend"-"
"I forgot to add "girl" to the word “friend”. My bad. Was trying to stay alive meanwhile as well, and keep her breathing too."
“Understandable. And impressive. You look cute together, by the way.”
The guy behind the steering wheel turned to face you, giving you a sly smirk. If you wouldn't know he was one of Junhong's friends, you would never even consider trusting him. But since he was sitting in one car with Junhong, ready to put his life on the line in order to help you, you found the smirk to be even a little calming. He probably had that plastered all over his face while killing, and would gladly join in to hurt anyone who wanted to hurt you. Just like Junhong.
"I'm Jongup," he announced, turning back to the road, "And afterwards I'd like explanations on how Junhong-ah over here can get such pretty girls be his. And who you even are, as no one gets chased and threatened to get killed just like that, without having anything done first. Or without having ties."
"How do you know about what exactly had happened?" you questioned, feeling slight unease rising inside of you, "You'd just picked us up with less to no info just a second ago."
"Oh, just a lucky guess, don't worry," he waved it away as if it was nothing, "I've been on the scene for long enough to have noticed nothing new ever happens. There's like five default scenarios that usually take place, and this is nothing new. So I just guessed, and was lucky enough to get it right."
A thousand thoughts kept crossing your mind as you were driven hell knows where, and you only snapped out of them when you felt something soft landing on top of your shoulders.
"Stay warm," Junhong quietly muttered upon adjusting his jacket on top of you, covering your frame that was inappropriately dressed in only a t-shirt and jeans, "And don't worry too much. Whatever it is, we'll sort it."
Tough times have finally come around the corner, and you were clueless on any the further events. A family-related thing? And some type of possessions someone wanted to get their hands on? It was all new to you, and in any other situation you would be scared without doubt. But Junhong was here, his arm wrapped carefully around your waist and holding your tight. He, after all this time, was back. And nothing ever went wrong when Junhong was around, or so you remembered from all of the past events.
After all, you'd shared most of your lives, and ain't nothing going to change that. You trusted him to help, and he trusted you to not be afraid. And that's all that mattered.
"Too bad Yongguk hyung is away," Junhong let a hand run through his hair as he popped down on the bed. You'd arrived at their base just a while ago, and upon getting introduced, Junhong quickly made sure the guys wouldn't bug you too much with sarcasm and shaming for being his girlfriend, and simply escorted you to his and Jongup's room that they shared whenever they stayed the night here, without going home.
A knock on the door followed soon enough, and Himchan walked in, sitting opposite you two on the other bed.
"Now in detail, everything," he ordered, and softened his tone only as he saw your wary and uneasy facial expression, "We're more than willing to help, but we need detail. So, since I'm completely in the blue, you could fill me in on everything. And with everything I mean absolutely everything."
"(Y/N) has been my friend since childhood," Junhong suddenly spoke up, and you felt his hand sliding on top of yours, giving you all the courage you needed. It was all going to be fine.
"We parted ways after the murder took place, and after I had to move away with my brother. I originally wanted to keep in touch, but then the incident with Yongguk hyung happened, and I thought it would be better and safer to cut ties since I started this lifestyle. Well.. And then I messed it up by wanting to come back and see her again."
".. Never come back to a person you love with your whole heart if you intend to leave or not show it afterwards. It won't work, and you'll end up getting in trouble. Or maybe I was just too weak, but I couldn’t keep away. My heart was telling me to let it happen."
You felt your cheeks heating up at that statement. Junhong, all of a sudden, was so honest and open about everything. Then again, considering his and Himchan's relationship, you figured Junhong trusted him a lot, and had simply been taught to tell him everything, anytime.
"Is that a life lesson for me?" Himchan smiled, making Junhong look away in embarrassment, "Well, it's true anyways. I'll keep it in mind."
"I'll guess the rest. You re-united, and fell in love again like the high school sweethearts you always supposed to be but never were, since Junhong-ah moved away before you could actually do that. And the rest is history, right?"
"Why are all of you so good at assumptions.." you muttered, causing both of them to let out a chuckle.
"You kind of learn to do that after some time, it's more of a habit than an ability by now," Himchan looked at you reassuringly, making you feel how truly needed his presence was to calm you down, "Plus, I'm a loud mouth, or so Yongguk-ah says at least. But now, enough about me. Tell me about today, and if you know anything about what's going on."
"I just came home from university, and was browsing through my phone or something," you started recalling, scratching the back of your head, "And suddenly there were knocks on my door. I went to check, and there was a quite tuff looking guy out there, just rapidly knocking. After a while he called out, I think it was something among the lines of "Open up, bitch. I know you're there." and after I refused and just gave him silence in return, he continued knocking."
"I.. I was quite scared, and simply had no clue on what to do. The only person whom I could think of at that moment was Junhong-ah, so I called him up. And he came just in time to save me, as I was about to be thrown over the railings of a fourth-floor balcony."
"How romantic," Himchan said with fake dreamy eyes, causing you to chuckle, "Especially when you think back of the fact you probably didn't know who Junhong-ah here actually was."
"Yeah, thanks for not telling," you turned to face him, spitting the last part into his face and causing Himchan to chuckle, "Zelo."
"Would you mind if I'd ask Zelo over here to come with me for a minute?" Himchan turned to you, asking nicely, "It won’t take long, promise."
And with that , they were gone, leaving you to sit and wonder about how everything could possibly unfold. Leaving you to think if everything you'd ever known was a lie, and there's always been something there you had no clue of, or if those people just had the wrong person. Anyway, all you could do now was sit around and wait.
* * * * *
Next thing you knew, you were at your parent's door, with Junhong standing right beside you and holding you by your waist tightly.
"Are you nervous?"
"A little," you admitted, feeling him tugging you a little closer to his side.
"Don't be. I believe there's an explanation, and we'll find out soon."
You knocked, and waited, being greeted by two familiar frames within less than a minute.
"(Y/N)! Honey, what are you doing here-" your father was cut off as he noticed the close to unfamiliar silhouette that was standing next to you, and froze in disbelief.
"Hello, Junhong. I never thought I'd see you again," his voice sounded a little colder than it should and you felt Junhong tensing up a little. You remembered this tick of his since childhood. He was quite pissed, and wanted to give a piece of his mind, yet held back. After all, these were your parents, and they had to be respected, no matter the case.
"Yeah, I never thought I'd come back as well, and less than that I thought I’d see you, mr. and mrs. (Y/L/N)," he spoke politely, before killing the mood completely, "But I have my reasons to be here right now, as I'd like explanations."
"What for? I'm really clueless on what you mean-"
"Show them, babe," Junhong turned his head to you, and despite not quite understanding all that was happening around, you knew exactly what he meant. Slowly, you lifted up your right hand, pulling the sleeve down a little and exposing your wrist.
The grip of the guy who tried to push you off of the balcony sure was strong, as he managed to leave quite a bruise there. You didn't even remember when and how, but a sharp object had struck you there as well, and when Junhong arrived, your arm was already bleeding all over the place. Now, when it had already been all cleaned and bandaged up, you understood why Junhong told you to take the bandages off before going to meet your parents in first place. He wanted them to see you were hurt.
"You.. I'll kill you if you did this-"
"No need for that," Junhong carefully placed a hand on your arm, lifting it a little higher up, showing it off to them "I wasn't the cause of it. The man who came to (Y/N) demanding for family secrets was, and if I'd come a second later, she would've been pushed off the balcony. I hope you remember what floor your old apartment is on. I don't think that would've ended well."
He didn't break eye contact with your father even once, and refused to do so still when he leaned in to plant a soft kiss on your scar, as if demonstrating what kind of ties you had with him nowadays. Demonstrating to them you were his, by your own heart and will.
"And now, when your daughter's in danger, I'm back to keep her safe, as I'm nothing more or less than the same exact type of person like the guy who tried to kill her today, just a.. Justice seeking version of that," he explained, lowering your arm again and making sure to keep an arm around you at all costs, "But to do that, I'll need information. Don't let the new generation suffer because of things the older generation didn't know how to handle. It broke my life. Don't let it break hers."
You were let into the apartment, and just to make sure everything would be fine you refused to leave Junhong's side. You'd always trusted your parents with your whole heart, but this time around you knew something wasn't right. So you stayed by Junhong's side, because you knew he wasn't lying. He loved you and would always stand by you, no matter what.
You'd kind of dreamed of this scenery. The four of you, and a coffee table with tea cups and snacks in front of you. Except you'd always thought it would be in a less burdening and doubtful atmosphere. You’d hoped your parents would welcome Junhong with open arms, and would love him like their son, just like they used to do in childhood. Yet they were acting cold and suspicious.
"What do you want for keeping her alive and well?" you were surprised at your father's harsh tone, but once again were met with a little squeeze to your side by Junhong's hand. He kept constantly reminding you that he was there with you, and it kept you calm and focused, able to think straight even.
"Believe it or not, I don't want anything," Junhong surprisingly kept his grounds more than well, sounding as serious and convincing as ever.
"I don't believe you."
"Not my problem. I don't know about you, mr. (Y/L/N), but I'd go to unimaginable extents for the person I love with my whole heart-"
"What do you know about love!? People in your line of work never have any type of feelings. They only cause pain and destruction, you should know the best out of everyone after being a victim of it. And I doubt your teenage minds still know what love even is. You'll throw her out onto the street within a day of actually getting in trouble-" your father was surprisingly silenced by your mother’s little slap and gesture. This sight was new, as you'd never seen him talking so harshly. But he was clearly nervous. And you figured he knew what had caused all those events Junhong had to live though. And he might even be related to it in some way..
"I know enough," Junhong snapped you out of your thoughts, being the only thing that kept you away from tears, "We're far from being the same as six years ago. We've grown up, and learned new things along the way. (Y/N) has become the most beautiful girl I've ever had conversation with, inside and out - well, not that she wasn’t all of those things when I left. She'd become someone who exceeds many others in honesty, and showing pure and full support and affection, giving everything even if that means she'll have nothing left for herself. She'd become the best there could ever be, while I became a piece of social garbage. Crawling around the gutters at night and smearing my hands with blood, as well as staining my soul, to keep myself and the people I love safe. I'm the best guy there could be out of all of the bad ones, as I fight for what I believe in, which is justice and a chance for people like your daughter to lead a normal life. To not let them suffer and fade away because of some badly kept secrets and mistakes of previous generations,” Junhong finished, letting silence follow.
"What I’m going to say ain't gonna be nice, especially for you."
"I know. It's not like I'm not used to this stuff by now."
"Then sit tight and let me explain, without interruptions or anything."
You needed him. You needed him so much that a simple arm around your waist wasn't enough. You knew the painful past would be brought up, and didn't know if you were ready for it. Didn't know if you were ready to see him suffer, because he would definitely walk out of here more than simply emotionally hurt. Yet he was putting himself through the pain in order to help you. In order to get hurt himself, because otherwise you'd have to take that position.
You leaned your head on his shoulder, and closed your eyes. You didn't care what type of reaction that would cause in your parents, and you didn't think that would be of any matter. Whatever feelings they had towards Junhong - good or bad ones - he'd still stay a part of your life. A big one.
"I never wanted to be a part of this, so I tried to keep away. But my stupid brother weirdly had an interest in it, and he pulled everyone down with him. First it was himself, then my sister, and as they were about to come to get me, but they got the wrong people instead."
You had a mild idea of where this was going. It seemed like a thing that could only happen in the movies, yet here you were. Knowing some movie scenarios indeed came true after your magical re-union. And figuring that maybe that wasn’t the only non-likely scenario to become reality.
"My father was a man associated with the local mafia, and I was supposed to take over, as his eldest son. But that lifestyle was far from what I wanted to live, so I declined, going underground and vanishing so they wouldn't be able to find me. I got a job and a family, and "happy ever after" was on the horizon.. Up until my brother came searching for me years later."
"He'd been enough of an idiot to get involved, and was being chased. He gave me a key, saying to keep it, and despite refusing at first I ended up taking it.. What an idiot."
"He went missing soon, and was found dead. So was my sister with her family after a while. And when it was our turn.. I swear, this is not my fault. I don't know how it happened or why, but.."
".. They, for some reason, came after my parents instead of you," Junhong finished, making you widen your eyes in shock and clench onto his arm a little tighter.
There was no response from him - no reassuring squeeze, no getting hold of your hand. Nothing. He was simply staring at your father, with a look on his face that displayed the fact he knew already. He simply wanted to hear it first-hand.
"How did you know?"
"Lucky guess," Junhong's voice almost cracked. Almost. But you were sure you were the only one who noticed, and same went to his increased heartbeat and hectic breathing. He hid it well, so no one except of you would know.
"There's only around five default scenarios of what can possibly happen, and I said the one that seemed the most fitting to the situation. It's nothing new. It's something that's been happening all around the world for years already, in many people's lives. So there's nothing surprising about the fact it ruined my life too."
Silence filled the air, and you saw your mother crying. The people who were the closest to you. They’d known all along. And, even if not directly, they were the cause of Junhong having to suffer so much in his life. And you were the cause too, being a part of this family. And being a holder of that same damned key, as when it was mentioned, you knew exactly where it was. You knew thelocation of it, and it disgusted you.
"I'm sorry, Junhong-ah. I have no clue how it happened. Since you and (Y/N) basically spent childhood together, I'm a hundred percent sure you might have gotten confused with (Y/N). No one knew how we looked like and who we were, they just knew we held the key. And I'm not even sure if they knew I had a daughter, they must've thought I had a son. And since our families were close, it.. It sounds weird, but they must’ve confused us simply...You get it."
You felt your legs shaking and slowly giving in as Junhong stood up, gently pulling you along. You'd promised yourself you wouldn't cry and make it harder for him - you would stay calm and collected. Yet the tears started coming as you went out the door, and stopped a little, feeling Junhong's hand slowly unwrap as he went further down the staircase, thinking you’d follow in a second.
"I.. I'm not guilty. I really didn't mean to, Junhong-ah. Please.. Forgive for all that had happened," your father had told right as you went out, and Junhong only managed to respond so much, in a cracked and muffled voice that barely left his throat.
"What happened, happened, and you can't change it. I'd advise you to move away, since it looks like things had somehow changed and they found out. And don't keep things of such kind a secret anymore. At least if you don't want people whom you love getting hurt by them."
Tears kept dripping down your cheeks as you watched him walk on. Even when he stopped mid-stairs, noticing you weren't following, and turned around to face you, you couldn't help but let out a barely audible cry. He was looking back at you, waiting for you to follow. You - the person who was supposed to be in his place. The one who robbed him of happiness.
"(Y/N).. I shouldn't have taken you along," he looked guilty for doing so, and you were surprised by how he managed to hold his grounds so perfectly. You could feel it from the aura and atmosphere - he was hurting. Hurting internally to unimaginable extents. And you were being part of the cause.
"Junhong-ah," you almost whispered, making him take a few steps closer, "Please.. Leave me."
"Why?" he was suddenly worried, and hurried to you, but you stopped him with a hand on his chest.
"I'm not worth it, Junhong-ah," you told him quietly, trying to swallow tears and trying to let all of his commentary past your ears. He was about to talk sense back into your tired mind, but you weren’t having it. He was in the wrong this time around.
"Don't say such things. We established another important part of the puzzle, and not much is left. (Y/N), we'll deal with it, I promise-"
"Junhong-ah," you finally made him listen, taking a deep breath and swallowing a few tears before saying out what needed to be said. Looking up at him and clenching on his shirt, you cursed quietly before speaking.
"It turned out that I am part of what ruined your life. Part of what made you become who you are. Part of the reason you were left alone in this would. And after all of this - after knowing it should've never been your family - you still want to help me? You still want to keep me safe, after knowing that if it would've never been for me, you would've lived a normal, happy life?"
"After all of the pain I have caused you, do you really still love me and want to save me?"
