Before The Shadow: White Chrysanthemum Flowers

Chapter 13: The Past

Two years earlier

YOONGI POV

I hold my stomach tightly from the new gunshot wound I received ten minutes ago and blood begins to pour down from my abdomen to my legs. Shit, shit. I stumble aimlessly through the woods to try and find some sort of cover. The weapons meeting I was supposed to be having with a smaller gang got hijacked by a bigger group and everyone ended up separated in the crossfire. I ended up getting shot but I didn't have time to stop as I got myself out of there and now I have no idea where any of the guys are, dammit!

I grip the tree next to me and take a moment to try and catch my breath. I reach into my pocket and pull my pager out to see it's completely busted. Fuck! I throw it away, it's completely useless now. I sink myself into the cover of several large bushes and ferns nearby and rain starts to pour down from the cackling sky. I whip my shirt off and tightly tie it around my stomach in an effort to stop some of the bleeding. This will have to do for now until I can catch up with Jin.

I wait and listen carefully through the rain for any unwanted visitors. I check how many bullets are left in my revolver. Shit, only three left. I reach into my back pocket to double-check check my pocket knife is still there. If things get dicey I might have to rely on that. Suddenly I hear rustling nearby and I quickly try to determine the source of the noise.

Left, twenty or so feet away. I jump from the ground and aim my gun in the direction of the noise but I'm in shock at what I see. A girl? Ah-I mean a woman? I duck back down into my hiding spot and she turns around and I wait a few moments. She didn't see me right? What the hell is she doing in the woods in the middle of a storm? I peer my head up slowly from the leaves and watch her. What is she wearing? A Dobok? No way, is she training?

She performs several moves on the tree in front of her and screams out in determination each time she makes contact. Her eyes filled with passion each time she strikes the tree. I slowly become infatuated with watching her, who is she? Her hair and uniform are stuck to her face and body from the rain but that doesn't deter her from performing each move seamlessly as she continues to train without stopping for a single moment. She's so engrossed in practising. I'm kinda envious of how much passion she has.

My eyes trail to her face and she's beautiful. I scoff, what a stupid crazy moment this is. I was running for my life and now I've found this lovely stranger. I want to talk to her and know who she is but I know if I suddenly jump out now in my predicament in the middle of the woods she'll think I'm crazy. Maybe I am. I engrain her features into my memory. I'm definitely going to find you again and when that time comes I'll make you fall for me.

My fantasy is cut short as I hear another set of footsteps. Crap. I can't let them get close to her, they'll just kill her on sight so she doesn't blab about what she's seen. I turn from my position on the floor and make out two shadows converging on our location, they must've heard her yelling. Fuck. I need to do something now and fast so without thinking I raise my gun towards the shadows and fire blindly. I don't care if I hit them or not I just need her to hear the noise and want to leave, even if it means wasting one of my bullets.

She stops and looks around in concern at the sound, she quickly grabs her bag off the floor and jogs away in the opposite direction. Good. I'll find her again but now I need to deal with these two assholes with only two bullets.

I stand from my hiding position and point my gun at the two guys, their faces are now in clear view. "Alright, now I'm pissed. Which one of you wants to die first?" I ask before advancing towards them.

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Present day

YOONGI POV

I can hear faint mumbling around me but it's like someone is turning the dial on a radio as the noise slowly becomes clearer and clearer. It's the guy's voices. I can recognise them now. I try to move my body but it's so heavy.

"Are you sure he's gonna be alright, hyung? There was so much blood around him." Jungkook says worriedly.

"I've stitched him up more times than I can count, he can pull through anything."

"Have some faith in the boss, he isn't that weak," Hobi says harshly to Jungkook.

"But what do you think happened? Hailey wasn't there either...do you think maybe?" Namjoon says cautiously.

Hailey! My eyes bolt open at the mention of her name and I'm greeted by all the boys leaning over me. I sit up quickly and grab the person closest to me and pull them close to my face, "WHERE IS HAILEY!?" I bellow to who I now realise is Taehyung. He looks at me in a slight panic at my behaviour.

"Woah, woah, calm down boss. Hyung, only just finished patching you up." Taehyung says while raising his arms. I let go of him.

"She's not here, what happened boss?" Jimin asks.

Shit. I scramble off the bed and push past them but I fall down to my knees as my legs stumble beneath me. "Wait, boss!" Jimin says anxiously and the rest of the boys crowd around me and try to help me up. I push them off me. I don't have time to be babied, Hailey is in danger!

"They have her, we have to go now," I say through my teeth and the boys stop to look at each other.

Jin stands from the floor, "No."

No? I turn my head in disbelief to face Jin, what the hell is he even saying right now? I grip the bed and pull myself up to stand. "No?" I scoff, "I think you've forgotten your place." What the fuck does he think he's playing at.

"No, Yoongi. We're not going right now, you're too weak at the moment. They'll kill you immediately." Jin crosses his arms.

I lunge at him and grab his shirt "You don't understand, it's Jieun!" He should out of all people know how dangerous this is. I won't lose Hailey because of my past mistake! Jin's face tightens at the mention of her name.

"We will get her back Yoongi but you have to rest first."

"Fuck that. I'm not letting Hailey spend another moment with that woman," I say through my teeth and wince slightly from the pain in my shoulder. I grab it and then look at my hand, it's covered in blood.

Jin sighs deeply, "Now you've opened your stitches."

"Get out," I say but nobody moves. "I said GET OUT!" I scream and everyone quickly leaves the room except Jin. I'm frustrated and I punch him in the face. I half expect him to dodge but he doesn't, instead, he takes the whole blow from my fist. He stumbles back slightly and cradles his face.

My breathing is heavy and I try to work out the rest of my anger, "Don't ever disrespect me like that. If I say an order you fucking do it. Do you understsand!?" I yell in a thick voice and sit back down on the bed as my legs give out.

I wipe my face and Jin sits down next to me "Let me dress your wound again." He takes my bandages off around my shoulder and I look at him and see that his nose is bleeding slightly.

"I just don't want things to become twisted. I want to be honest with her." I admit to Jin and clutch my face with my hands.

"I know, we will get her back Yoongi."