TAEHYUNG

He clicks his tongue.

"So we got you instead of the girl."

And I stay silent. The hearing aid is gone from my ear— taken, after being discovered.

I close my eyes.

"You're not touching her."

He laughs. Then he moves to the side of the room, and my eyes follow him to the wall. There are pictures on the wall— of everyone that he'd killed.

I turn away at the one of my sister.

"You'll join these soon." He smiles, and I make a noise deep in my throat. My side— the fabric there was soaked with my blood.

It doesn't matter anymore.

"I don't care."

"I expected you might say that." He muses, testing the point of a knife with his fingertips. "And you know how I am, Taehyung."

"I only kill people who fear."

"What bullshit." I murmur, leaning my head against the wall. I'd been trained enough times to know how a knife felt.

"Which is why this is useless against you."

He tosses the blade to the ground, lip curling in a dark smirk.

"In less than two days, I'll have that girl right here."

"You won't." I say, stopping myself when I feel my voice rising. And he laughs, like he's surprised.

"You really don't think she's going to come to save you?"

I'd told her not to come. I didn't think she wouldn't— because I hoped she wouldn't be that reckless to go against the rules and come for me with all the risks there were.

"She knows better."

He grips my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. And I stare back, unhindered.

Kill me.

His expression twists into fury. He sweeps the knife back up from the floor, gripping a handful of my hair and pushing his knee into my wound.

I gasp.

"I've always hated that look on your face." He hisses, pushing me roughly into the wall. The knife is inches from my lips.

I don't resist.

There was no use to.

And this was better, for Youmin. I had nothing to lose except for her, and if I died then she wouldn't put herself in danger coming here.

Because even if I'd told her—

I knew she would try.

"Be afraid." He snarls, and I glance up at him as he presses the knifepoint to the skin under my left eye.

"I won't hesitate to take half your sight." He says, cursing. "After I took half your hearing. You are afraid, Kim Taehyung. It's useless to hide it."

No.

There's just— nothing to lose.

"You take half of everything." I whisper, dark challenge in my eyes.

"Or are you just scared to take all of me?"

_________________________

YOUMIN

"I— I've narrowed down a couple of places."

"Which building?" I say quietly, trying not to make any noise as I check out the three structures. "Which one, Jin?"

Jungkook cocks his head up curiously at me from the other side.

"West— yup. West building. Underground floor."

I swallow nervously as I slowly shift up from the shadows. Jin warns me of the cameras, and Jungkook waves at me after getting there first.

Then someone leaves.

It's him.

He comes out of the main entrance of the West building, cheeks flushed with anger. He has a sheathed knife in his hand.

The person who'd nearly ran me over with a car that day.

"Noona, come on."

I nod. Jin gives us a warning before we see two guards, standing post at the back entrance.

Jungkook winks at me.

He goes first. I follow right after him, swinging the hard handle of my gun against the side of the second man's head.

They hadn't even seen us coming.

"Nice!" He grins up at me, jerking the dark cloth from the guard's waist. I do the same thing, wrapping it over my nose and lips.

Most of the soldiers here wore this, like a mask.

"Alright. Did you guys get the guards?"

"If you did, just use the guy for the finger pad. No camera should be watching for the first five meters."

I step back as Jungkook hoists up one of the knocked out men. He forces his thumb against the digital pad, clicking green.

"Sweet."

We move fast. We had to be in and out of here before they could realize a single thing— because if they did, we were done for.

Even Jin's rapid flurry of directions sound more anxious as the seconds pass by.

"Okay. Checking cameras— all good. Um, I think..."

"Right or left?"

"Should be left."

The halls are unfamiliar— but I pretend that it's the opposite as I blindly push myself forward, trusting Jin's calls.

"Here— Here's when only one person can go in. There's like a sensor."

Jungkook turns to me.

"Noona."

"What...What will you do." I say anxiously, looking around the empty halls. But it was exposed, and Jungkook would be exposed.

He smiles assuringly.

"I'll be fine. I'll keep watch for you."

I hesitate for a final second before entering.

The room's so dark.

And for a complete moment, I'm frozen to the floor in shock. I can barely see— but my eyes adjust quickly, and I recognize the figure.

Him.

And I'm just so relieved I forget myself.

Closing the distance in a heartbeat, I cup half of his face in my hand and kiss him.

I feel him wake.

"Youmin...?"

"You sound so surprised." I laugh, an uncontrollable smile on my face. I couldn't see much in the dark, but he looked okay. "Come on."

"I'm getting you out of here."

He suddenly jerks, hands tightening on my shoulders. Even in the dark, I sense his features twisting in horror.

"No. You shouldn't have—"

The door slams open.

And guards spill in.

________________________

It's that man, and he's saying something to me.

But I can't focus.

I can't focus at all, my eyes just fixed blankly at the left side of Taehyung's face.

His eye.

His sight.

"You fucking bastard." I whisper, looking up at him with murder. "You're a monster."

I would kill him with my bare hands.

He'd already lost half of his hearing. And now his left eye— ruined. I could see that he'd never be able to use it again.

"As fiery as I remember." He laughs, playing with a knife in his palm. "Of course you'd come for him. He thought you wouldn't."

I spit at him.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Youmin."

I look up. I've never seen Taehyung this broken before— ever. But even with his face streaked with blood and his side soaked in red, he doesn't lose his edge.

"Stop talking."

And I force my lips close, my entire body shaking with anger.

"Let's play a little game, little kitten and its owner." The man smiles, and I look at him in shock.

A what?

Psychopath.

He was crazy.

"Alright, kitten." He says, crouching in front of me to meet my wide, murderous eyes. The rope around my wrists strain as my body shakes— not because of fear, but because I want nothing else but to rip him apart with my own hands.

"Before we play, I want to see something I've always wanted to see."

...what?

Then I jerk when he grips my chin between two fingers. He glances towards Taehyung with a shadowed smirk, licking his lips.

"How do you feel now, I wonder?"

I growl, shaking my head roughly. But he holds on even tighter, eyes still fixed on him. His smirk turns to a smile.

"Now that I finally have your weakness in my hands?"

"Don't."

Taehyung's right eye burns red with fury. He pulls against the binds, and I breathe softly. He's never been like this before— this wild, this uncontrolled. His expression is something I can't describe in words.

But I'm okay.

"Tae, I'm fi—"

Then harsh laughter cuts me off. The sound is sharp and elated, and I whip back towards the psycho man as he laughs. He just laughs, and I can't help but feeling a chill go up my spine.

What's wrong with him?

"Finally." He says, still smiling. "Would you look at that."

He grips a handful of my hair. I don't know what to do except to stay still, act like he's not affecting me at all as I stay stone cold. But my gaze is livid, wrists rubbing against the rope.

I tense as he leans closer, wincing at the heat of his breath against my skin.

Then I hear him, and his voice. Pleading.

"Please."

No.

No, Taehyung. No. I can handle it. He's nothing. He's nothing at all.

Don't give in. I don't want to be your weakness.

He smirks. Then he slowly turns back to Taehyung, whose face is so pale I can see the blood drip down the line of his jaw to the floor. His gaze is desperate— afraid.

"What did you say?" The man drawls, with a triumphant look. "Repeat it to me."

"Please. Don't touch her."

With a lingering smile, he shifts off of me. Then he moves towards my instructor, who looks like he's barely keeping himself awake. I scream when I see the glint of a knife.

He's going to kill him.

"Tae!"

"Hush, kitten." The man motions. "Don't you remember? I told you I had a game I wanted you to play, didn't I?"

"So choose," He says, placing the knife against Taehyung's throat.

"Your lover, or your friend."

"What?"

The word escapes me like a gasp.

"I'm not going to repeat myself." He says, and I want to squeeze my eyes shut when I see a trickle of red run down Taehyung's neck. "Make your choice."

No, no, no.

I'm starting to panic. Then Taehyung's eye flickers open weakly, meeting my terrified ones with a steady gaze. He has a knife right under his chin, and just looks so much more calmer than I am.

It's alright, Youmin.

I close my eyes.

Think. Make time.

"What friend are you talking about?"

He replies my quiet question with a grim smile.

Then a strangled scream comes between the walls. I recognize the voice the moment I hear it— it's Jungkook.

Jungkook.

The blood completely drains from my cheeks.

They have him?

"I'm betting that they just broke his wrist." He says, tapping his palm impatiently. "Give me an answer in five seconds, little kitten— or your precious instructor will be next."

My eyes flicker towards Taehyung. The knife held against his throat.

Jungkook, in the other room. He was in there because of me— suffering because of me. Did he have someone holding a knife to his neck as well, with orders to kill him the moment I spoke?

"Five. Four," He counts, watching my gaze tremble. "Three."

I didn't want to lose either of them. But if I didn't say a name, both would die.

"Two."

Please. What do I—

"One."

Then I flinch as the door crashes open behind me.