THE8 | Junhao

THIRTY - TWO

| CHAPTER THIRTY - TWO |

"Wow, look at you." San mutters in awe, "I'm almost sad, you've grown so much. You're so brave doing this." He takes steps forward, and Minghao surprisingly doesn't cower, "You murderer."

"I don't know anything, dad." Minghao winces at his own words, voice broken, "I don't even know what work you're doing! all i know is that you're gone and I'm stuck here surviving on the few bucks you left behind."

Minghao hears his father sigh, "I'm so sorry MingMing-"

"Don't call me that." He can't take it anymore.

His father lets out a breath, "I'm sorry, I really am."

"Just forget it." Minghao shakes his head, cheeks numb to the tears that roll down his face, "Don't bother coming back."

Minghao grits his teeth, eyes glossy.

"You're dead to me."

He goes to open the door after the lock is flicked open, only to freeze in his spot when the knob doesn't budge.

He purses his lips with a furrow of his brows, twisting again.

With no avail, he huffs, knocking on the door.

"Dad?" He twists again, "The door isn't opening... can you try opening it from—"

Minghao's falling to the floor in a state of shock when a loud shot rings through the air, bouncing off the walls.

His ears hurt at the volume, and he feels them ring.

He cradles his father's head in his arms, blood drenching his sweater, crimson mixing with the soft, coffee brown.

Minghao's having a panic attack, eyes burning and on fire as he struggles to blink— struggles to cope with what was right in front of him.

"D-Dad...." Minghao's lips turn inside out, and he lets out a whine, "Dad! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

Minghao wakes up with a jolt, as well as a scream. He claws at his shirt, crying harshly. Tears beam in his eyes, and he found his cheeks already coated in his emotions, all glossy and damp.

His throat hurts from the sobs and screams that echo through his vocal cords, his eyes hurting from crying so much, nose feeling burnt from the amount of sniffles.

His chest was heaving up and down at a fast pace, and he felt his heart practically beating out of his chest. He cries silently to himself now, holding his head in his hands as he sobs helplessly, sniffling an insane amount.

He soon was able to calm himself down, only a few tears escaping his eyes every once and a while now. He sniffles, using the back of his sleeve to wipe under his eyes.

He's still shaking, and his lamp was on.

He didn't want to be in the dark now.

He finds his phone in his hands before he can even recall picking it up. He sniffles as he scrolls through the contacts on his phone, finger trembling as it hovers over a phone number.