Dangerous Mind 「 i. darkness eyes 」
Author’s Note: Thanks to everyone who commented! Sorry chapter one was posted a little later than I would’ve liked. Ugh, I had this chapter written...a month ago, but I finally got around to proofreading it. orz
He walked out of the parking garage, heading to an area that was left undisturbed by man's interference. The unusual warm autumn breeze ruffled his dark hair, and for a moment he felt an unfamiliar sense of peace. It was an uncomfortable feeling to say the least.
He faintly admired the green, grassy scenery that was left in place next to the grey, dull building. He stood under a tree, closing his eyes to enjoy this strange, unfamiliar serenity. His senses seemed to have heightened the moment his eyes were closed. He could hear birds singing in the sky, faint talking and laughter a distance away, and cars on the other side of the building. This symphony of noises he was growing accustomed to was disturbed by the arrival of a new, ringing tone.
It was his cell phone, and by looking at the caller ID, he knew it was not a regular call he could just dismiss nonchalantly. "Hello, Boss."
"Jaejoong, have you settled the problem with our partners?"
Jaejoong looked back at the parking garage, eyeing an area splattered with blood on the walls and lifeless bodies resting in all sorts of positions around the place. "Yes sir. They won't be bothering you any longer," answered Jaejoong monotonously, his emotionless visage remained unaffected by the gruesome sight.
"Good." The Boss seemed to be smiling. "Your next assignment will be ready when you return."
"Understood."
As Jaejoong placed his cell phone into his pants pocket, he looked up and saw the wide-eyed faces of a little boy and a young puppy standing cautiously in front of its owner, looking at Jaejoong's recent kill from behind him. The boy slowly and timidly reached for a purple bouncy ball that had rolled near Jaejoong.
With frightened eyes, the boy turned to run away when he heard the sound of a gun cocked, forgetting his earlier objective to retrieve the ball. The last thing he heard before he fell was two gunshots fired in quick interval and the yelp of his puppy. He lay on the hard, concrete ground in his own pool of blood, his eyes wide and staring helplessly at the lifeless puppy not too far from him.
"Pests should keep their noses out of grownups' business," Jaejoong warned, walking away from the dying boy to his waiting car.
The warm breeze from earlier suddenly shifted to a cold, sharp draft. The wind howled piercingly, almost as if it was mourning the recent tragic deaths.
"Shim Changmin, the young heir to MX GROUP will become vice-president of the company when he turns 25. There is a rumor that he will become CEO by the time he is 30, possibly even sooner. This kid certainly has the ability to achieve this. Jaejoong, I want him out of the picture."
Jaejoong was quiet for a moment before speaking softly and formally. "Yes, Yoochun."
Yoochun looked at Jaejoong, chuckling softly before motioning the man closer. "You're curious, aren't you?"
For a moment, Jaejoong looked puzzled before his stoic mask returned. “What do you mean, sir?”
Yoochun leaned back in his chair and smiled wickedly. “You’re wondering why I am so concerned with this skinny little brat.”
Jaejoong stayed silent.
“I can already see that he will be a nuisance in the future, able to charm other companies into merging with MX GROUP.” Yoochun closed his eyes briefly. “You must always nip the problem in the bud while it is still immature.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll report back when the task is done.” Jaejoong bowed politely and quietly left the room.
Yoochun opened his eyes and smiled brightly at Jaejoong’s retreating form. “That’s a good boy.”
Shim Changmin, the sole heir to MX GROUP, the pride of his parents and beloved by all. Even though he knew he should be happy for his fortune, he felt something was wrong, something about this evening was all wrong. It was a gut feeling, but his instinct had never failed him before, so why now?
“Changmin, dear, is something wrong? You’ve hardly touched your plate. Are you getting sick?” His mother placed a hand over his forehead, already examining him for a temperature. “You don’t feel warm.”
Changmin smiled at his mother, feeling slightly guilty for alarming her. “It’s fine. I was just distracted by this pleasant atmosphere.” A lie, but he would rather lie to his mother than worry her over something that could merely be a malfunctioning instinct.
His father smiled as well. “Yes, this is a pleasant atmosphere, isn’t it?” His father then turned to talk to the man seated to his right, laughing and already dismissing his son’s unusual behavior.
Changmin exhaled slowly, his eyes wandering across the ballroom, occasionally settling themselves on a round table and observing the people around it. He turned his attention to the outside world, grateful that he was seated next to the tall glass window.
Normally he did not mind attending these business parties, but tonight he felt restless. It was as if he was waiting for some exciting event to suddenly happen. He frowned at the thought. This is ridiculous, he thought to himself, ready to push his gut feeling aside.
Changmin absentmindedly poked at the steak on his plate with his fork. Even he found it unusual that he lacked an appetite tonight. Maybe I am coming down with something, he thought wryly, his fork still continuing to mercilessly prod the piece of meat.
“Changmin? Did you hear what I said?”
Changmin snapped out of his stupor. He looked apologetically at his father. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about something. What did you say?”
His father looked concerned again, but he still continued normally. “Mr. Lee’s daughter is coming back from her study abroad this weekend, and we thought you might want to take her out to re-experience the Seoul she left behind.”
Changmin could only nod politely, but he wished his parent would stop forcing these outings on him. But that’s the price you pay to be wealthy and famous. You have to let other people control every single aspect of your life, especially your love life-or rather lack of one. The same thing would then repeat for future generations, trapped forever in this uncontrollable cycle.
The other adults around him resumed their talking and drinking, lost in their blissful lives to notice how despondent he was. Changmin once again examined the room, his eyes locking in on a group of young men and women his age. He just could not understand why he can’t just be carelessly happy with his riches like they were.
He let a sigh slipped his lips, already growing bored of the same old lifestyle. He pushed his chair away from the table, and quietly excused himself. As he walked away from the round table, he noticed everyone carrying on normally. Hn, he simply thought, focused now on only heading for the bar.
He ordered a Black Russian, but he was displeased to hear that his mother had already asked the bartender to not serve him any alcohol because of the important business meeting he had to attend the next day. He shook his head, frustrated that he had no control over his life.
Deciding to escape the party and the phony people that inhabited it, he made his way for the door, figuring he could probably kill some time in the restroom. As he was leaving the ballroom, his arm accidentally brushed against a man that was perhaps a couple of centimeters shorter than he was.
“Oh, sorry,” he muttered politely before moving on, unaware that he was being watched.
Jaejoong was standing by the door, observing the people before him. He was wearing his usual dark suit, which blended in perfectly with this formal occasion. His lips tugged upwards slightly when he found his target: Shim Changmin.
His eyes followed Changmin’s every move, from the walk to the bar and finally to where he was standing. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Turning his body slightly, he pretended to speak into the phone, and gradually his head tilted a little to give him a decent and inconspicuous view of Changmin’s approaching form.
As Changmin walked by him, he made it so they accidentally touch.
“Oh, sorry.”
He watched the retreating figure disappeared out of the door and down the hallway. That was definitely his target. He waited a few minutes, observing with disgust at the happy people, relishing in their wealth and fame. Then, with his hand still at his side, he snapped his fingers.
Immediately, many men in dark suits suddenly pulled out guns and started firing at the ceiling and walls. People started screaming, running around the room like headless chickens, looking for an exit to escape this ambush. Jaejoong walked out of the room and slowly closed the door. He grabbed a metal pole that was snuck in and left behind a potted plant outside the room, and slid it through the door handles, making sure that it was securely locked.
Then he proceeded down the hallways to where his kill was waiting for him.
He entered the dark men’s room and saw Changmin bent over a sink washing his face furiously. Quietly, he got up from behind Changmin, the gun he had pulled out earlier was at his side waiting. As Changmin straightened up, his gun followed the movement in a synchronized manner.
Changmin looked up from the sink to inspect his wet face. The sight before him was not what he had expected. He whirled around to come face-to-face with the man he had bump into earlier. “Who are you?”
The only response Changmin received was a gunshot. He quickly dropped to the floor, scrambling quickly to run away from this deranged man. But as he was running down the hallways, Jaejoong followed, his pace a simple slow walk compared to Changmin’s brisk dash. Jaejoong raised his gun again and fired promptly.
Changmin fell to the floor, crying out in pain when he felt a bullet graze his leg. He turned around to stare into dark, cold orbs. Jaejoong walked up and grabbed onto the front of Changmin’s tuxedo. He pulled the young man back to the locked room.
Changmin watched in horror as Jaejoong removed the pole, tossing it carelessly to the ground to land with a piercing clatter. Opening the door, Changmin witnessed a scene that made him want to vomit. “N-no,” he breathed, his voice trembling.
Bloodied bodies were strewn about, no one alive except for the devils that caused this massacre. Jaejoong walked in, his feet not bothering to step over the dead corpses in his path. He threw Changmin to the ground and ordered for his hands to be bounded behind his back.
Changmin held back a choked sob as he was forced into his humiliating position, kneeled before the devil and waiting for the death that was sure to come. He held back a gasp when he found his mother lying dead, her horror-struck eyes staring deeply into his. “Bastard,” he whispered lowly to himself.
Jaejoong then motioned for everyone to leave and make sure they kill any witnesses that they come across. As the last of the goons left and closed the door, Jaejoong turned to face his latest victim.
He raised his gun, aiming it straight at Changmin’s forehead. Just one pull and it would all be over. Yet, he found himself hesitating a little. He had worst assignments that were done in a heartbeat, but why was he losing focus on this task?
Perhaps it was because of those eyes. Yes, he killed many people before, but none of them ever had that dead look in their eyes when he killed them. Those lifeless orbs reminded him of someone he knew long ago, someone who he vowed to always protect and serve faithfully.
Yoochun?
Jaejoong found himself close to uttering that name, a name that seemed so foreign on his tongue due to the infrequent uses. He slowly lowered his gun, moving cautiously closer to the silent boy. Changmin remained on his knees, his hands still bounded behind his back. Jaejoong grabbed a tuft of his hair and jerked the head upwards. He placed the gun next to Changmin’s head, preparing to murder him execution-style.
“Any final wishes?”
“Make it quick.” Changmin whispered hoarsely, his eyes held no emotion, the trauma of being forced to witness the dead bodies of those he had scorned earlier left him numb.
Jaejoong’s lips drooped a little. “You got a death wish, kid?”
Changmin shot a spit in Jaejoong’s face.
Jaejoong slowly wiped the vile saliva off his face, his eyes hardening now. He loosened his hold on the gun, flipping it over so that he was no longer holding onto the grip. Without the hesitation from earlier, he promptly struck Changmin across the face with the grip of the gun.
“Wish denied.”
Changmin slowly raised his head. He could feel his cheek burning hotly from the attack. “What are you going to do with me now?”
Jaejoong was prepared to finish his assignment once and for all, but the sudden sound of sirens outside the building interrupted his thoughts. He approached the tall glass windows, pushing the long drapes aside so that he could observe the outside world. His lips twitched unnoticeably when he saw police cars and paramedics outside swarming the building.
“You’re going to help me escape.” Jaejoong turned around, heading straight for Changmin. He grabbed the younger man’s collar and started pulling him up. Jaejoong held the gun close to Changmin’s head, hissing lowly his deal, “Don’t struggle, don’t call for help, or else-“ He stopped briefly to fire up at the ceiling, sending everyone outside into a state of panic. “I’ll shoot an innocent pedestrian.”
Changmin was quiet. He didn’t mind if Jaejoong killed him, but those other people? This man made him sick.
“Let’s go.”
Jaejoong roughly pushed Changmin forward, walking carefully down the corridors and straight for the elevator. Once the door opened for the lobby, his eyes darkened when he found himself surrounded by a squad of policemen, all of them with their guns fixated on him.
“Let me go and I’ll let this boy live.” He uttered softly.
The captain of the squad seemed to be conflicted by this deal. “We’ve been looking for you, Jaejoong.”
“And now you’ve found me,” He sneered back. “But I have the precious sole heir for MX GROUP within my possession. Can the company risk losing their one and only leader now?”
The captain scowled noticeably. “Alright.” Reluctantly, he signaled for everyone to lower their guns. His eyes never once left Jaejoong as he watched the other man slowly leave. “Wait! You said you’d release him!”
Jaejoong cocked his head sideway. “Don’t put lies in my mouth. I said I would let him live, just not here.” He raised his gun; his new target was now the captain. “One false move and I’m taking you down with me.”
“I’ll go with him,” Changmin whispered suddenly to the tense room. He looked at Jaejoong with desperate eyes. “Please, don’t hurt anyone. It’s fine everyone, just let him take me.”
Jaejoong never once looked at Changmin’s face; his eyes were still focused on his enemies. “You heard him. Let’s go.”
Everyone looked with disheartened eyes as Jaejoong pushed Changmin roughly into the back of his car, and then they watched helplessly as the car disappeared into the dark horizon. The captain walked slowly out of the building, approaching a group of policemen. He placed his hand gently on a man’s shoulder. “Did you get the license plate number?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. You have not won yet, Kim Jaejoong.” The captain stared at the horizon from which the car disappeared into. “You’ll lead me to your leader.”
“Where is the boy now?”
“He’s locked in the room down the hall.”
“You’ve failed me, Jaejoong.”
“Yes, I’m sorry, sir. I’ll accept any and all punishments for my negligence.”
Jaejoong was on his knees, his head bowed lowly as a plea for forgiveness. Yoochun was quiet for a moment before he spoke up, “There will be no punishment. I think we can find some uses for the boy. Break him, turn his loyalty towards us, and you will be forgiven.”
Jaejoong got up and bowed again. “You’re too kind.” He started to leave but Yoochun walked over and grabbed onto his arm. He spoke lowly, his mouth was so near Jaejoong’s ear that the warm breath made his spine tingle. “However, you do have another assignment later tonight.”
Jaejoong’s body tensed up when he felt Yoochun caressing his face, his fingers tracing unidentifiable shapes over his countenance. Yoochun murmured softly, “Yes, please be more diligent with this ‘assignment’ tonight. You may leave now, Jaejoong.”
Before he left, Yoochun placed a soft kiss on Jaejoong’s cheek, smirking to himself when he noticed how stiff Jaejoong was. “Relax, you’ll feel so good later.” His hand brushed against Jaejoong’s dark locks briefly before he finally let the other man leave.
Jaejoong walked out the door knowing full well that Yoochun was watching him intently. He closed the door and stood there for a long time, almost as if he was deep in thought. He then proceeded down the hall to the room Changmin was held captive in. He opened the door to find the younger man handcuffed to the doorknob of the closet door.
Changmin sat still on the floor with his right hand handcuffed to the doorknob, seemingly unaware of Jaejoong’s presence. As Jaejoong approached Changmin, he realized the other man was asleep. His head was leaning against the door, slightly tilted downwards. Jaejoong nudged Changmin with the side of his shoe to stir him out of his slumber.
Changmin drowsily raised his head, and for an instant, he looked confused before the memory of earlier that night flashed back to him. He scowled, his eyes staring at Jaejoong intently. Jaejoong ignored the dirty looks, and proceeded to relayed Yoochun’s earlier orders to Changmin.
“What makes you think I will voluntarily associate myself with a bunch of crooked criminals?”
Jaejoong grabbed Changmin’s chin, raising it so he could look Changmin straight into his eyes. “Of course not, and that is why starting tomorrow, you will be broken.” Jaejoong let go of his hold on Changmin, watching as Changmin immediately raised his head again to glare at him. “Sweet dreams, Shim Changmin.”
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He walked out of the parking garage, heading to an area that was left undisturbed by man's interference. The unusual warm autumn breeze ruffled his dark hair, and for a moment he felt an unfamiliar sense of peace. It was an uncomfortable feeling to say the least.
He faintly admired the green, grassy scenery that was left in place next to the grey, dull building. He stood under a tree, closing his eyes to enjoy this strange, unfamiliar serenity. His senses seemed to have heightened the moment his eyes were closed. He could hear birds singing in the sky, faint talking and laughter a distance away, and cars on the other side of the building. This symphony of noises he was growing accustomed to was disturbed by the arrival of a new, ringing tone.
It was his cell phone, and by looking at the caller ID, he knew it was not a regular call he could just dismiss nonchalantly. "Hello, Boss."
"Jaejoong, have you settled the problem with our partners?"
Jaejoong looked back at the parking garage, eyeing an area splattered with blood on the walls and lifeless bodies resting in all sorts of positions around the place. "Yes sir. They won't be bothering you any longer," answered Jaejoong monotonously, his emotionless visage remained unaffected by the gruesome sight.
"Good." The Boss seemed to be smiling. "Your next assignment will be ready when you return."
"Understood."
As Jaejoong placed his cell phone into his pants pocket, he looked up and saw the wide-eyed faces of a little boy and a young puppy standing cautiously in front of its owner, looking at Jaejoong's recent kill from behind him. The boy slowly and timidly reached for a purple bouncy ball that had rolled near Jaejoong.
With frightened eyes, the boy turned to run away when he heard the sound of a gun cocked, forgetting his earlier objective to retrieve the ball. The last thing he heard before he fell was two gunshots fired in quick interval and the yelp of his puppy. He lay on the hard, concrete ground in his own pool of blood, his eyes wide and staring helplessly at the lifeless puppy not too far from him.
"Pests should keep their noses out of grownups' business," Jaejoong warned, walking away from the dying boy to his waiting car.
The warm breeze from earlier suddenly shifted to a cold, sharp draft. The wind howled piercingly, almost as if it was mourning the recent tragic deaths.
"Shim Changmin, the young heir to MX GROUP will become vice-president of the company when he turns 25. There is a rumor that he will become CEO by the time he is 30, possibly even sooner. This kid certainly has the ability to achieve this. Jaejoong, I want him out of the picture."
Jaejoong was quiet for a moment before speaking softly and formally. "Yes, Yoochun."
Yoochun looked at Jaejoong, chuckling softly before motioning the man closer. "You're curious, aren't you?"
For a moment, Jaejoong looked puzzled before his stoic mask returned. “What do you mean, sir?”
Yoochun leaned back in his chair and smiled wickedly. “You’re wondering why I am so concerned with this skinny little brat.”
Jaejoong stayed silent.
“I can already see that he will be a nuisance in the future, able to charm other companies into merging with MX GROUP.” Yoochun closed his eyes briefly. “You must always nip the problem in the bud while it is still immature.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll report back when the task is done.” Jaejoong bowed politely and quietly left the room.
Yoochun opened his eyes and smiled brightly at Jaejoong’s retreating form. “That’s a good boy.”
Shim Changmin, the sole heir to MX GROUP, the pride of his parents and beloved by all. Even though he knew he should be happy for his fortune, he felt something was wrong, something about this evening was all wrong. It was a gut feeling, but his instinct had never failed him before, so why now?
“Changmin, dear, is something wrong? You’ve hardly touched your plate. Are you getting sick?” His mother placed a hand over his forehead, already examining him for a temperature. “You don’t feel warm.”
Changmin smiled at his mother, feeling slightly guilty for alarming her. “It’s fine. I was just distracted by this pleasant atmosphere.” A lie, but he would rather lie to his mother than worry her over something that could merely be a malfunctioning instinct.
His father smiled as well. “Yes, this is a pleasant atmosphere, isn’t it?” His father then turned to talk to the man seated to his right, laughing and already dismissing his son’s unusual behavior.
Changmin exhaled slowly, his eyes wandering across the ballroom, occasionally settling themselves on a round table and observing the people around it. He turned his attention to the outside world, grateful that he was seated next to the tall glass window.
Normally he did not mind attending these business parties, but tonight he felt restless. It was as if he was waiting for some exciting event to suddenly happen. He frowned at the thought. This is ridiculous, he thought to himself, ready to push his gut feeling aside.
Changmin absentmindedly poked at the steak on his plate with his fork. Even he found it unusual that he lacked an appetite tonight. Maybe I am coming down with something, he thought wryly, his fork still continuing to mercilessly prod the piece of meat.
“Changmin? Did you hear what I said?”
Changmin snapped out of his stupor. He looked apologetically at his father. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about something. What did you say?”
His father looked concerned again, but he still continued normally. “Mr. Lee’s daughter is coming back from her study abroad this weekend, and we thought you might want to take her out to re-experience the Seoul she left behind.”
Changmin could only nod politely, but he wished his parent would stop forcing these outings on him. But that’s the price you pay to be wealthy and famous. You have to let other people control every single aspect of your life, especially your love life-or rather lack of one. The same thing would then repeat for future generations, trapped forever in this uncontrollable cycle.
The other adults around him resumed their talking and drinking, lost in their blissful lives to notice how despondent he was. Changmin once again examined the room, his eyes locking in on a group of young men and women his age. He just could not understand why he can’t just be carelessly happy with his riches like they were.
He let a sigh slipped his lips, already growing bored of the same old lifestyle. He pushed his chair away from the table, and quietly excused himself. As he walked away from the round table, he noticed everyone carrying on normally. Hn, he simply thought, focused now on only heading for the bar.
He ordered a Black Russian, but he was displeased to hear that his mother had already asked the bartender to not serve him any alcohol because of the important business meeting he had to attend the next day. He shook his head, frustrated that he had no control over his life.
Deciding to escape the party and the phony people that inhabited it, he made his way for the door, figuring he could probably kill some time in the restroom. As he was leaving the ballroom, his arm accidentally brushed against a man that was perhaps a couple of centimeters shorter than he was.
“Oh, sorry,” he muttered politely before moving on, unaware that he was being watched.
Jaejoong was standing by the door, observing the people before him. He was wearing his usual dark suit, which blended in perfectly with this formal occasion. His lips tugged upwards slightly when he found his target: Shim Changmin.
His eyes followed Changmin’s every move, from the walk to the bar and finally to where he was standing. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Turning his body slightly, he pretended to speak into the phone, and gradually his head tilted a little to give him a decent and inconspicuous view of Changmin’s approaching form.
As Changmin walked by him, he made it so they accidentally touch.
“Oh, sorry.”
He watched the retreating figure disappeared out of the door and down the hallway. That was definitely his target. He waited a few minutes, observing with disgust at the happy people, relishing in their wealth and fame. Then, with his hand still at his side, he snapped his fingers.
Immediately, many men in dark suits suddenly pulled out guns and started firing at the ceiling and walls. People started screaming, running around the room like headless chickens, looking for an exit to escape this ambush. Jaejoong walked out of the room and slowly closed the door. He grabbed a metal pole that was snuck in and left behind a potted plant outside the room, and slid it through the door handles, making sure that it was securely locked.
Then he proceeded down the hallways to where his kill was waiting for him.
He entered the dark men’s room and saw Changmin bent over a sink washing his face furiously. Quietly, he got up from behind Changmin, the gun he had pulled out earlier was at his side waiting. As Changmin straightened up, his gun followed the movement in a synchronized manner.
Changmin looked up from the sink to inspect his wet face. The sight before him was not what he had expected. He whirled around to come face-to-face with the man he had bump into earlier. “Who are you?”
The only response Changmin received was a gunshot. He quickly dropped to the floor, scrambling quickly to run away from this deranged man. But as he was running down the hallways, Jaejoong followed, his pace a simple slow walk compared to Changmin’s brisk dash. Jaejoong raised his gun again and fired promptly.
Changmin fell to the floor, crying out in pain when he felt a bullet graze his leg. He turned around to stare into dark, cold orbs. Jaejoong walked up and grabbed onto the front of Changmin’s tuxedo. He pulled the young man back to the locked room.
Changmin watched in horror as Jaejoong removed the pole, tossing it carelessly to the ground to land with a piercing clatter. Opening the door, Changmin witnessed a scene that made him want to vomit. “N-no,” he breathed, his voice trembling.
Bloodied bodies were strewn about, no one alive except for the devils that caused this massacre. Jaejoong walked in, his feet not bothering to step over the dead corpses in his path. He threw Changmin to the ground and ordered for his hands to be bounded behind his back.
Changmin held back a choked sob as he was forced into his humiliating position, kneeled before the devil and waiting for the death that was sure to come. He held back a gasp when he found his mother lying dead, her horror-struck eyes staring deeply into his. “Bastard,” he whispered lowly to himself.
Jaejoong then motioned for everyone to leave and make sure they kill any witnesses that they come across. As the last of the goons left and closed the door, Jaejoong turned to face his latest victim.
He raised his gun, aiming it straight at Changmin’s forehead. Just one pull and it would all be over. Yet, he found himself hesitating a little. He had worst assignments that were done in a heartbeat, but why was he losing focus on this task?
Perhaps it was because of those eyes. Yes, he killed many people before, but none of them ever had that dead look in their eyes when he killed them. Those lifeless orbs reminded him of someone he knew long ago, someone who he vowed to always protect and serve faithfully.
Yoochun?
Jaejoong found himself close to uttering that name, a name that seemed so foreign on his tongue due to the infrequent uses. He slowly lowered his gun, moving cautiously closer to the silent boy. Changmin remained on his knees, his hands still bounded behind his back. Jaejoong grabbed a tuft of his hair and jerked the head upwards. He placed the gun next to Changmin’s head, preparing to murder him execution-style.
“Any final wishes?”
“Make it quick.” Changmin whispered hoarsely, his eyes held no emotion, the trauma of being forced to witness the dead bodies of those he had scorned earlier left him numb.
Jaejoong’s lips drooped a little. “You got a death wish, kid?”
Changmin shot a spit in Jaejoong’s face.
Jaejoong slowly wiped the vile saliva off his face, his eyes hardening now. He loosened his hold on the gun, flipping it over so that he was no longer holding onto the grip. Without the hesitation from earlier, he promptly struck Changmin across the face with the grip of the gun.
“Wish denied.”
Changmin slowly raised his head. He could feel his cheek burning hotly from the attack. “What are you going to do with me now?”
Jaejoong was prepared to finish his assignment once and for all, but the sudden sound of sirens outside the building interrupted his thoughts. He approached the tall glass windows, pushing the long drapes aside so that he could observe the outside world. His lips twitched unnoticeably when he saw police cars and paramedics outside swarming the building.
“You’re going to help me escape.” Jaejoong turned around, heading straight for Changmin. He grabbed the younger man’s collar and started pulling him up. Jaejoong held the gun close to Changmin’s head, hissing lowly his deal, “Don’t struggle, don’t call for help, or else-“ He stopped briefly to fire up at the ceiling, sending everyone outside into a state of panic. “I’ll shoot an innocent pedestrian.”
Changmin was quiet. He didn’t mind if Jaejoong killed him, but those other people? This man made him sick.
“Let’s go.”
Jaejoong roughly pushed Changmin forward, walking carefully down the corridors and straight for the elevator. Once the door opened for the lobby, his eyes darkened when he found himself surrounded by a squad of policemen, all of them with their guns fixated on him.
“Let me go and I’ll let this boy live.” He uttered softly.
The captain of the squad seemed to be conflicted by this deal. “We’ve been looking for you, Jaejoong.”
“And now you’ve found me,” He sneered back. “But I have the precious sole heir for MX GROUP within my possession. Can the company risk losing their one and only leader now?”
The captain scowled noticeably. “Alright.” Reluctantly, he signaled for everyone to lower their guns. His eyes never once left Jaejoong as he watched the other man slowly leave. “Wait! You said you’d release him!”
Jaejoong cocked his head sideway. “Don’t put lies in my mouth. I said I would let him live, just not here.” He raised his gun; his new target was now the captain. “One false move and I’m taking you down with me.”
“I’ll go with him,” Changmin whispered suddenly to the tense room. He looked at Jaejoong with desperate eyes. “Please, don’t hurt anyone. It’s fine everyone, just let him take me.”
Jaejoong never once looked at Changmin’s face; his eyes were still focused on his enemies. “You heard him. Let’s go.”
Everyone looked with disheartened eyes as Jaejoong pushed Changmin roughly into the back of his car, and then they watched helplessly as the car disappeared into the dark horizon. The captain walked slowly out of the building, approaching a group of policemen. He placed his hand gently on a man’s shoulder. “Did you get the license plate number?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. You have not won yet, Kim Jaejoong.” The captain stared at the horizon from which the car disappeared into. “You’ll lead me to your leader.”
“Where is the boy now?”
“He’s locked in the room down the hall.”
“You’ve failed me, Jaejoong.”
“Yes, I’m sorry, sir. I’ll accept any and all punishments for my negligence.”
Jaejoong was on his knees, his head bowed lowly as a plea for forgiveness. Yoochun was quiet for a moment before he spoke up, “There will be no punishment. I think we can find some uses for the boy. Break him, turn his loyalty towards us, and you will be forgiven.”
Jaejoong got up and bowed again. “You’re too kind.” He started to leave but Yoochun walked over and grabbed onto his arm. He spoke lowly, his mouth was so near Jaejoong’s ear that the warm breath made his spine tingle. “However, you do have another assignment later tonight.”
Jaejoong’s body tensed up when he felt Yoochun caressing his face, his fingers tracing unidentifiable shapes over his countenance. Yoochun murmured softly, “Yes, please be more diligent with this ‘assignment’ tonight. You may leave now, Jaejoong.”
Before he left, Yoochun placed a soft kiss on Jaejoong’s cheek, smirking to himself when he noticed how stiff Jaejoong was. “Relax, you’ll feel so good later.” His hand brushed against Jaejoong’s dark locks briefly before he finally let the other man leave.
Jaejoong walked out the door knowing full well that Yoochun was watching him intently. He closed the door and stood there for a long time, almost as if he was deep in thought. He then proceeded down the hall to the room Changmin was held captive in. He opened the door to find the younger man handcuffed to the doorknob of the closet door.
Changmin sat still on the floor with his right hand handcuffed to the doorknob, seemingly unaware of Jaejoong’s presence. As Jaejoong approached Changmin, he realized the other man was asleep. His head was leaning against the door, slightly tilted downwards. Jaejoong nudged Changmin with the side of his shoe to stir him out of his slumber.
Changmin drowsily raised his head, and for an instant, he looked confused before the memory of earlier that night flashed back to him. He scowled, his eyes staring at Jaejoong intently. Jaejoong ignored the dirty looks, and proceeded to relayed Yoochun’s earlier orders to Changmin.
“What makes you think I will voluntarily associate myself with a bunch of crooked criminals?”
Jaejoong grabbed Changmin’s chin, raising it so he could look Changmin straight into his eyes. “Of course not, and that is why starting tomorrow, you will be broken.” Jaejoong let go of his hold on Changmin, watching as Changmin immediately raised his head again to glare at him. “Sweet dreams, Shim Changmin.”
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