ALL BARK NO BITE | SADISTIC BEAUTY SPINOFF

Chapter 75

(Spoiler and Trigger warning in comment:-)

~ M Motel, 17, Guryong, Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Minho slid the crumpled note across the desk and covered his cough to keep the pain from slipping out of his mouth. He wore a baseball cap pulled down over his face and a black mask. His bloodshot eyes were lowered and the clerk of the seedy motel barely gave a glance before taking his money and sliding back a key "13. First floor" he said and Minho raised his hand wordlessly to imply that he'll take it from hereon, inching his luggage to the stairs. He pretended that he was fine as he felt like every part of him felt like it was on fire. All his bones felt like they'd break out any second.

The motel stairs were grey concrete, with dirt and pieces of litter tucked away in corners. Such places didn't have carpets or expensive tiles, and why should they when cheapness trumps comfort. Either way, Minho wasn't here for comfort, he shakily pressed his key into the knob, struggling to turn it in. The keychain was an old, faded rubber tennis racket and it kept hitting the door as he tried to undo it. "Fuck..." Minho groaned under his breath as he painfully manoeuvred his arm to twist the rusty doorknob open. He burst inside, the rickety door swinging inside and Minho stumbled forward.

He heard footsteps at the bottom of the staircase and felt primal fear creep up his neck. He bolted inside, locking the door shut and heaving as he stared at it. He felt like it was going to burst through again. The flames erupted through the crack in the door, blowing hot air on his face, the loud snapping of the door coinciding with the boom in his ear. Splinter fell everywhere as the door unhinged from the wall, blowing into him and slamming him against the stairs. His own voiceless screams as he watched his whole apartment burst into flames, red ashes stinging his face while every little memory he had built from the time he moved out for college got destroyed...

Minho felt something wrench in his gut and he scrambled for the toilet in the room. He leapt through the rusty door, glancing at the dirty, cracked mirror and grey between the tiles making him throw up even harder as he kneeled over the toilet. He wretched up all the fluids in his stomach, tasting only bitterness as he hadn't eaten in 2 days. His belly ached, convulsing and throwing up again. "Aaah" Minho cried, grabbing his face shakily and backing away. He crawled to the room and grabbed the bedside, wiping his forehead on the threadbare sheet.

It felt only slightly comforting as he tried to breathe. Tasting the bitterness still, he tried to wash it down with spit. "Haa" he breathed deeply, his chest heaving and he pulled his sleeve back, seeing the sore, bloody scrape on the heel of his hand. The one he used to push the fiery door back. He watched it, trying to focus on it entirely. After some moments, he collected himself and studied the ridges of the burn, the drops of dried blood. This is the only place I'm hurt, he told him like he always did when he hurt all over.

This is all there is, the rest is in your head, he trained himself to think. He slowly got up and dusted his hand on the side of his jeans, ignoring the flaring pain. He ambled to the bathroom and flushed the toilet, avoiding staring too long at anything to keep from hurling again. He retreated and looked at the mirror, his face was a mess of red and blue bruises, and his lip busted from when the door flew into him. Scrapes and small cuts on his cheeks. His eyes still stung from the smoke and fumes. He could smell lighter fluid too. Minho realised that it was no accident... someone wanted to hurt him. Someone who knew where he lived and was still out there.

He laughed out loud. He never thought he'd make enemies and yet here he was... the whole word against him. Trying to end him. Minho heard Wookyung's voice in his head... anxious, he's slow, he's straight, he's uninspiring... he's a failure... he's homophobic... Minho was starting to believe it, no matter how painful. He was a burden and he could understand why he kept pushing Wookyung away for so long because he was scared he would leave him... he couldn't be honest with Eunyeong because he was scared of losing her friendship...