FATE | 박성훈 [EN-]

Chapter 17: Flashback 4:04

FLASHBACK

The ground felt like if it was unbalanced, as each step you took was wobbly and unsure.

Your mom had left you alone, in a park, it was already dark, promising you she'd be right back.

"But it's been fifteen minutes since she has left. What's taking her so long?" you asked yourself, looking at the timer you had in your hands.

Back then, you used to be so infatuated with the idea of time, always being so curious about how it worked and how much it would take and last.

You'd always try to measure exactly how long it would take you from your house to the park, how long it would take you to reach that banana that your mom purposely put in the very top shelf, forbidding you from ever eating them, as you ate too much of them, to point where you'd get a bellyache.

But you'd always would find away to reach your goals, to reach that banana.

Your parents would admire your determination, saying that you'd always find an answer to each question.

There's always an answer to each question, so why does it feel impossible to solve such questions now? Is there really an answer for such mystery?

You kept walking around, going deeper and deeper into what seemed as a forest, for your small naive mind to think.

This forest felt huge for you, with everlasting trees in your eyes.

Each step you took, each had a bunch of feelings mixed in together to create one monstrosity of an emotion.

Suddenly, you heard screaming, loud shrieks and cries for help.

"My parents always told me to always help people when in need...I'm doing the right thing." you said, convincing yourself that each step you were taking, was a act of kindness from your part.

Nothing bad would ever happen to you, because only the bad guys get the bad ending.

You aren't bad, so you'd never get hurt, the story isn't supposed to end like that.

The story isn't supposed to have a bad ending, you aren't supposed to die, Y/N, you aren't supposed to suffer.

You're supposed to be the main character, you're supposed to be the good guy. You're supposed to be the hero that is meant to save everyone.

Then why must you pay such price for giving such good? Why must you suffer for being the good guy? Aren't the villains supposed to suffer?

Who's giving you such twisted fate? Are you just a puppet show, used to entertain? But to who? Why must you-

Tears flew right past you, as you kept running towards all of the screaming, all of the begging for mercy and freedom.

Suddenly, you stopped.

You stopped running as soon as you saw the droplet of blood hit your shoes, you didn't know what to do, or what think.

You just stood there, as the droplets of blood were now turning into pouring blood-filled rain, watching as the man kept staring at you from a far difference.

Covered in blood, you looked up, to find a man covered in a million cuts, hanging from a tree.

Not knowing to scream, to cry, or to ask why, you stood in such silence, observing how the blood  went down from your neck to your feet, running towards the one from whom which caused all of this.

The man slowly went up towards you, slowly patting you on the head.

"Young children like you, don't deserve to see beauty, most would scream or cry for their mom, not knowing such beauty that's lying in front of them."

He moved your chin towards the dead man, still patting your head.

"So many people would look past such sacrifice that I have done to this world by erasing him." he pointed towards the dead body, having a sort of, peace in his eyes.

"Everyone would just call me a murderer, scream at me, beg me to spare their life, if they ever saw this" he looked towards you, a sly smile on his face

"That's why this is going to be a small secret between us two." he kept smiling at you, thinking that you'd be so stupid to agree with such idea.

You slowly shook your head, this felt wrong in your head, this secret felt like a secret that you couldn't keep to yourself.

He scoffed at your disapproval to such idea.

"You knew what you were looking for when you heard the cries for help, instead of ignoring it, you decided to explore, what curious person your are..."

"Such curiosity is going to be what's putting you six feet under."

He suddenly grabbed you by the collar, pulling you closer to him, whispering:

"Maybe next time, let's hope your death is much more quicker than his." he pointed towards the body once more, holding you down, making sure you weren't going anywhere.

"Son of a b*tch deserved to die. Can't you see that?!" he screamed in your ear, it ringing every time he spoke.

'You ignorant people can never seem to understand such sacrifices that we do for humanity." he dropped you towards the floor, your arm aching from such strong impact, he scoffed.

"You disappoint me, I thought it was fate which made us meet once more, but turns out...you're more clueless than me!!"

He started to walk away from you, sharing one glance towards you and whispering:

"May we never meet again, L/N Y/N." he saw how stunned you were by him knowing your full name, you could see a small smirk appear on his lips as he was walking away.

Shivers went down your spine as soon as you heard your name come out of your lips.

"4:04..." you muttered, breaking down into tears.

Four minutes and four seconds was how long it took you to reach him.

You looked up, tears still heavily flowing from your eyes following such traumatic experience that you had just lived, you watched as the wind kept blowing on the man's body, noticing that his employee id was hanging loose.

"Choi San."

Choi San, the first ever victim of a series of seven other murders.

End of Flashback

"Too bad we met again, Kim Hongjoong, now you're the one who's buried six feet under."