"𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣"
When her friends reveal to her their mafia connections, Chaerin surprises everyone with her eagerness to join. But is she ready for it? How will she handle t...
Your parents. Brother. Uncles, aunts, cousins. Dead.
I killed them.
Dead.
Chaerin sat bolt upright, her hands trembling as she felt panic rushing through her veins. Despite her eyes being open, the world around her was pitch black as those, his words, echoed through her head.
Dead. He killed them. Her family was dead.
She could feel the tears streaming down her face and she knew that she was screaming and thrashing but she couldn't feel it. She couldn't see. Couldn't hear.
Her everything was black and empty but also loud and overwhelming. The words were consuming her and all she knew was pain. She couldn't get ahold of herself, everything blurring into grief and anguish and fear.
"It's okay."
She could hear the faintest voice calling to her. It sounded like it was miles away, buried under layers and layers of voices shouting, screaming at her, but it was there.
"You're safe, it's alright." The voice said again. "I'm here, calm down."
Slowly the voices began to fade, her vision coming back into focus as light pierced through the dark.
"Take a deep breath, loves. I'm right here."
The voice was louder now as it called to her and slowly she felt the panic leave her body. She blinked rapidly and soon her vision had returned, her face wet with tears and her throat sore from screaming. As everything came back into focus, her eyes landed on the source of the voice.
Taeyong.
There he was with a comforting smile, the concern clear in his eyes, but his expression warm. He was sitting on the edge of her bed in the hospital, his hand gently holding hers.
"There you go, that's it." He said softly. "You're going to be okay, it was just a nightmare."
She let out a deep sigh, slowing the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she finally felt like she could breathe again.
"Was it all just a bad dream?" She asked with a small voice.
She watched as Taeyong's eyes filled with pity, his smile faltering as he noticed the hope on her face.
"Please." She said quietly. "Please tell me it was all just a bad dream."
"I'm sorry, Chaerin." He replied with a shake of his head. "They're gone."
She let out a deep sigh, already knowing the answer just from the look on his face. Her lips began to tremble as the tears fell from her eyes all over again, the reality she had been trying so hard to avoid finally catching up to her.
Taeyong gripped onto her hand tighter, trying to do what he could to provide her with some sense of comfort. He rubbed small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, just allowing her to silently cry and let it all out.
"Thank you." She croaked, the tears in her eyes finally drying up. "Thank you for being here with me."
"Of course." He replied. "No need to thank me. I'm going to be here with you for every step of the way until you're at peace."
She nodded gratefully, touched by his words but too emotionally overwhelmed to be able to say anything. He understood it all, and to him, her eyes spoke all the things she couldn't say. He knew how much his presence helped her, and the fact that she trusted him, needed him, this much meant more to him than she'd ever know.
The two of them sat there in comfortable silence. Chaerin only beginning to come to terms with what had happened, if that was even possible, and Taeyong there to give her a rock to lean on.
"Hey Taeyong, so Yangyang and Haechan might've just accidentally killed some people, so how do you think we should-" Johnny cut off as he saw Chaerin awake, his words triggering something in her brain as her whole body began to shake.
Taeyong's eyes shot daggers at Johnny, his whole demeanor changing as his body filled with rage when he felt Chaerin begin to tremble again.
"I said do not disturb me when I am in here." The leader spoke lowly, his voice a fatal growl that sent shivers up the tall boy's spine. "Did I not make that clear?"
"Yes you did, I'm sorry." Johnny replied quickly, hearing the clear threat in Taeyong's words. "I'll go."
"Don't make the mistake again." He growled as Johnny turned quickly and left.
Even in her current state, she could hear the dark bite to Taeyong's words. A reminder of who he had once been to her, the other side of him, and the person he still could be. It only made it more meaningful that he was being so careful around her.
"It's okay, Tae." She said softly, recapturing his attention and seeing his gaze soften immediately. "I know that this is still a gang. Death happens and I'll just have to get used to it."
"You're right." He said with a sad nod. "But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be careful when you're vulnerable. Acceptance takes time and we're going to do everything we can to make sure you have as much as you need."
She nodded, flashing him a small smile as she went back to staring into the distance. Taeyong watched her for a moment before shifting in his seat, grabbing her attention.
"What are you doing?" She asked, seeing him reach to the floor for something.
"Well, Taeil wants to keep you here for the rest of the day just to keep an eye on you, so I brought some stuff so you wouldn't be too bored."
She watched curiously as Taeyong placed a pillow on her lap, resting his arm across it and holding up a black marker.
"Whats this for?" She asked as she took the marker from him.
"Well, you doodle on your arms a lot, and Yuta always emerges from your study sessions covered in black ink so I figured... maybe you'd like to give me one?" He said with a smile.
"Really?" She asked, uncapping the marker with a large grin.
"Go ahead."
Wiggling her body slightly with excitement, she stared at his pale skin for a moment before getting started, Taeyong watching her the whole time was a sparkle in his eyes.
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