THE8 | Junhao

FIFTY

| CHAPTER FIFTY |

The autumn leaves fell just as fast as Jun's tears, and the soft petals of the few flowers that bloomed tickled his nose as they fell from the trees above him.

He doesn't even remember stumbling his way out of Soonyoung's doorway, just like he doesn't remember even collapsing near an empty park.

His knees are tugged to his chest now, and he's screaming at himself to tear the letter in front of him to fucking shreds, even more if he could. But no, here he was, letting his aura do nothing but take in the words over and over.

He stuffs it in his pocket instead.

It was nighttime, and the moon had a piece missing in its shine, just like Jun's heart. He could almost feel the uncomfortable throb of emptiness, and he hated the way he immediately knew the answer to who owned the second half of his life.

He feels like shit.

He's fallen for a criminal, just as that criminal has fallen for him.

Jun cries softly, lip pouted as one hand flies to his forehead. He lets the weight of his head fall onto his hand, his other gripping the piece of wrinkled notebook paper tightly.

Jun feels like he's about to die.

Sure, it sounds silly, crying over a long lost love that he'll probably never see again in his life. But he couldn't care less at the moment, the stuffiness in his head, and the quickened beating of his heart all too much to bare already.

It's chilly outside, maybe even enough to call cold. Jun couldn't feel himself shiver though, he mistook the tremble for his emotional state. His tears drowned the skin of his cheeks, and his heart painted his ribcage as it bursted constantly.

He couldn't even hear the screaming that now surrounded him, just like he couldn't hear the boom of gunshots that followed either.

He doesn't register the person squatted down in front of him until he's being shook by his shoulders, a glimpse of red catching his eyes.

"Get up, you dumbass!" The sight of Minghao screaming in front of him didn't look real, and Jun had to sit there for a moment just to stare in disbelief.

His mental breakdown was making him see things for sure.

"Get up!" This was getting weird now, and Jun now felt the hands clawing at his arms, trying their best to pull him to his feet, "G-Get up, please! I'm begging you!" There were tears in Minghao's eyes, and Jun didn't know what to feel. He didn't even know if the sight in front of him was real at this point.

Minghao flinches at a following gunshot, holding a hand to his side as his eyes blow wide.

Jun watches with raised brows how Minghao chokes for a moment, only to slide it under the bus. The red haired boy sits up again, pushing through whatever he was going through to shake Jun to earth once again.

"J-Jun, get up!"

More gunshots echo through the air, and Minghao flinching constantly in fear seemed to snap Jun out of whatever clouded shell he was in, his eyes fading their blur, mind catching up.

"Hao." His voice is soft, and Minghao's glossy eyes meet his.

Minghao's heart is broken, "H-How did..."

Jun pulls Minghao into a tight embrace, sighing shakily in relief at the feeling of the boy finally here, right here in his arms.

Minghao almost cries at Jun's mind settling touch, so he shrugs him off to hopefully not, "Get up!" Minghao hoists Jun to his feet, groaning, "They're coming! they're right behind—"

Both of them duck down at a following gunshot, Jun's eyes wide. He covers Minghao's head, other hand gripping his waist, "Stay close to me." He doesn't even know what's happening, but he slips his gun out of his belt loop nonetheless, watching Minghao clock his own.

Jun shoots up from his spot, aiming in the direction Minghao came from.

Minghao stands as well, "Don't worry, I got your back, alright?" He promises, hand grazing Jun's side in sincerity, fingertips lightly gripping the end of his shirt, and Jun almost took the touch as a way of saying... Be careful, I mean it.

Jun is immediately pulling the trigger when he sees a figure running his way, a few more following as they trail behind him.

Jun curses, ducking a bit, "Hao!" He shouts, watching the boy trail away from behind him, standing straight as he aims as well.

"Go, go!" Minghao starts running, all whilst keeping his head turned, gunfire still ringing through the air as he pushes Jun forward, continuing to shoot the incoming figures down.

Jun sprints down the field, hand gripping Minghao's tight. His other held his gun tightly, finger ready on the trigger. And that came in good handy, as a person was now stumbling over to stand in front of him, gun in his face.

"Shit!" He curses, shooting them dead in seconds, their lifeless body collapsing with no mercy.

"Did you bring a car?!" Minghao shouts over the chaos, breathing heavily.

"Just around the corner!"

Minghao trips just then, falling to the ground below, and Jun just about loses his mind when he feels his hand slip from his own.

Minghao whips his head, arm flying to his right to shoot an incoming person. He grits his teeth, body still sprawled out on the ground as he aims mindlessly, almost grinning when every few shots knock at least one or two people down.

"Minghao—" Jun yanks him up from the ground, looking him over. They meet eyes, and Minghao has a smile on his face. Jun brushes his hair away, "You okay?"

"Fine," Minghao breathes, hand brushing Jun's bicep. A gunshot rings through the air for the what feels like the hundredth time, and Minghao's hissing, "We should probably leave now."

"Noted." Jun nods, and their hands are interlaced once more.