YOUMIN

He instantly jerks me up from the gun, nearly throwing me out of the range of the window.

And then I hear something that scares the crap out of me.

Rapid footsteps coming up the stairs.

V hears it, too. He's talking into his communicator, but the connection's somehow broken. I can barely hear the voice on the other side, let alone understand.

He curses.

My hands are shaking when he presses a pistol in my palm.

"There's more than three. Defend yourself if you have to."

The footsteps get closer.

"W-What about the sniper?"

He bites his lip. "I don't know. This needs to be taken care of first."

But he'd told me before.

He'd told me that if enemy snipers weren't countered fast, they could screw up the entire team.

"Jimin, listen."

He somehow looks calm in this entire situation. But I probably look like I'm having a breakdown, and his grip tightens on my shoulders.

"Stay here. Don't make any noise."

"If someone comes in, kill them. Understand?"

"I-I understand."

And with that, he leaves me.

I'm left alone in the corner of the room, with the sniper gun in front of me and my heart crashing into my chest.

Counter sniper.

What do I do?

I curl up against the walls when I hear yells and sounds of fighting. I had to go help. But he'd told me to stay.

Would I even be any help if I went?

Trembling violently, I just hug the handgun he'd given me to my chest.

I should do something. Anything— to help. Anything. Just do anything.

Shaking, I drop to the floor and slowly edge back up to the sniper gun.

Maybe I could just figure out his location. The other sniper. And I could tell V when he came back safe.

I look into the scope.

And I see him.

His head is a dark circle behind the glint of his gun, pointed in my direction. I didn't think he'd noticed me yet, since I was keeping so low.

Gunshots ring out from the floor right below mine.

He's right there, though.

Think of it as training. Think that it's just another wooden target.

Slowly, I shift the huge gun. I think of the trajectory in my mind, planning out the curve of the bullet.

No, no. He told you to not make any noise. He told you to keep low and stay in the corner.

But I can do this.

Carefully, I put my finger on the cold trigger.

And I shoot.

It hits.

I instantly squeeze my eyes close the moment I see the man behind the gun collapse backwards, red everywhere.

Blood. It's blood.

I killed someone.

Shaking harder than before, I scramble away from the gun and press back up into the corner with the pistol.

Then my head jerks up when someone comes in.

"V—"

It's not V.

My eyes go wide as the strange man turns to me, immediately lifting his gun in my direction.

And I can't even move.

Then a loud shot rings out, and I curl up into the tightest ball against the crumbling walls.

I'm going to die.

"Jimin."

Am I shot? Was I dead yet? I didn't feel anything, so did that mean I was already—

"Park Jimin!"

I look up from my hands. And there's V, tossing his gun to the side. He steps over the man he'd just shot, approaching me when I get to him first.

I wrap my arms around his waist.

I'm safe. He's safe.

Barely holding back tears, I breathe harshly with my face pressed up tightly to his chest. I'd thought I was done for. I'd literally thought—

I start rambling.

"You're not dead? How are you not dead, I really thought everyone was going to die and I killed that sniper too, and he was so scary, a-and there was so much blood—"

"You what?"

"I'm sorry I didn't listen." I say, still clinging onto him. "I'm sorry. But I just, I just wanted to help. And I know, I know what I did was very very dangerous, I know. Please don't yell at me."

He doesn't say anything.

And I just mumble and sniffle until I realize what the hell I'd exactly been doing.

Shoot, shoot, shoot.

I quickly break away from his chest.

My cheeks are burning.

And then I wait, to get some kind of reprimand. Because even I knew that in the military, breaking the rules were worse than death.

"Well?"

I look up, probably all red. But that's the only thing he says, sliding his pistol back against his thigh.

"W-What?"

He motions at the sniper. "Well, how was it? You just killed a person— as a sniper. How do you feel?"

I blink. I'd actually been so embarrassed and anxious that I'd completely forgotten about my kill on the opposite end of the field.

"Uh..."

"Good." He cuts me off, looking pleased. "Not only a natural sniper, but also a natural killer."

I snap my head up.

"I'm not a natural killer!"

He glances at me. "It's nothing to be ashamed about, Jimin. This is also easier for both me and you. You would've had to get used to it one way or the other."

My voice comes down to a squeak.

"I'm not a— a natural at it, though."

He hoists his gun up from the sill, and I quickly come out of the room first. I still can't get over the fact that he'd called me a natural killer. I didn't feel that affected, but if I wasn't so embarrassed right now maybe I would feel guiltier.

And then I realize my mistake.

"Jimin! Come back in here!"

But I've already seen it. I freeze at the top of the steps, my eyes fixing on dead bodies of the men all over the stairs.

The stairs are stained with blood.

He jerks me back inside, cursing. "Come back in here, dammit. I never told you that you could leave."

I stutter. "D-Did you do all that? Are they all dead?"

"What do you think, trainee. Do you see anyone other than me here?"

I swallow, my eyes quickly scanning him from head to toe. And he didn't even look like he was hurt, either. He was just staring at me with that usual look on his face.

"You're not even—"

And then I frown when I see red on my sleeve.

It's blood. But why would I have blood on my sleeve? I'd literally done nothing except but sit here and shoot a guy from a distance.

I look up.

"You are hurt."

When I'd hugged him. I quickly try to shuffle around to get a look at his back, but he just grips me by my shoulder and starts leading me back out of the room.

"Let's go. I suggest you close your eyes."

"But I don't want to close my eyes. I want to see your back—"

I squeak when he just lifts me up, slinging my body over his shoulder. And I start to struggle when I realize I could see his back now.

His voice is annoyed.

"Then see it all you want. But you're going in the lake when we get back."

My mouth drops open at the red blooming on the side of his shirt.

"You're bleed— wait, what? You're really going to put me in the lake for worrying?"

His grip tightens on my waist.

"I'm putting you in the lake for disobedience, Jimin."