𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 • 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

17; he was not blue, after all

the three were not surprised at the fact that junhui brought more soldiers to capture them. they initially thought that junhui was going to start a duel right then and there—but he preferred to catch the three artists instead of hurting them in the train station.

one thing they were at least thankful for was that junhui locked them up in a room inside the wen mansion, not in miyuni's jail or some other correctional center. even if they were locked in an abandoned, dirty, dusty room—they would suffice. it's better than jail.

(maybe junhui was personally going to torture them inside his home instead.)

"at least light up the fireplace!"

"be thankful i'm not confiscating your rifle, young one."

"wen junhui!"

junhui halts in front of the doorway, surprised at minghao's way of addressing him. "oho. no honorific, or any title at all? as expected. zuivet is already poisoning your mind." he turns around, with an amused face.

minghao stood up from the floor, walking towards junhui. he sticks his nose up in the air, and proudly crossed his arms.

"we are artists on a commission. we do not have time for your games, 'general'." minghao spat.

junhui smiled at minghao, and tilted his head in mockery. "i know. a prince wanted your services. so i took advantage of it, and surprised you at the station."

kwon soonyoung was a.. prince?! the address might've been fake, then?! what?! was this really a trap after all?

what if... what if junhui fabricated the commission? what if seungcheol fabricated the commisison?

"we should've listened to seungcheol." wonwoo crossed his arms, leaning on the wall as he watched minghao and junhui in each other's faces. "now we have a potential rate of dying in miyuni. i haven't even used up all of my rosin yet."

seokmin groaned, walking to stand beside minghao. "what do you even need, mister!? why'd you lock us up here?! do you want us killed?!"

"oh no, no. don't worry, you two." junhui waved his hand off. seokmin discreetly pulled minghao farther away from the general. "i will send you back home in no time. xu minghao is the one i need.

"he has a bounty on his head, and i'm getting that money." junhui smiled, raising his eyebrows at minghao. "you've always been a tool to me in the war. how about you help me fatten my wallet now? that was always your—"

"you're picking a fight with seungcheol hyung if you're going to do this, you know!" seokmin cuts junhui off, showing the general his angry face. "this is a wrong move!"

"it's not." junhui narrowed his eyes, smirking devilishly at seokmin. he then turns his stare to minghao. "don't you remember, xu minghao? when your squad was bombed. it was seungcheol who did that. he was also a general in the war before he had a business."

"and i don't care!" minghao yelled, despite feeling the betrayal rise up to his head. he believes, that this was called anger.

"what you might care about is that..." junhui stepped closer. "after the first time he bombed your squad, he saved you, before he eventually killed the rest of your squad. do you know why? because of the bounty. he wanted the bounty."

minghao's eyebrows furrowed, and his hands turned into fists. "he didn't! how would he even know that i would have a bounty in miyuni?! he just wanted zuivet to win, that's why he saved me and locked me up in jail! you're lying, general!"

even wonwoo was startled at minghao's yell.

"BECAUSE WE HAD A DEAL!" junhui yelled louder, eyeing minghao arrogantly. "i told him about your contract with miyuni, xu minghao. if you ever submit to zuivet, or even set foot there without my supervision, you will be considered a state enemy, and therefore, a bounty will be placed on your head. it seems like even you don't remember that part of the contract."

"i.. i remember that part of the contract. but if you only told him about my contract, that's not a deal. you're making up stories. seungcheol hyung is not like that." minghao replied, shaking his head at junhui. seokmin had a hand on minghao's back.

"oho. seungcheol 'hyung'? seems like you grew attached to him." junhui smirked. "the deal was that we'd share the money we get from your bounty, thus, i'm going to let him take you to zuivet. he wanted money, xu minghao. the only reason seungcheol took you in as an artist was to make sure that your contract is truly broken, so that we would surely get that money from the bounty on your head."

"but up until now, seungcheol hyung didn't want to give minghao to miyuni! he doesn't want money!" seokmin answered.

junhui only looked at minghao, while chuckling. "if he didn't want to give minghao to miyuni, why is minghao here then?"

the general leaves.