Frozen Rose (Langa x reader)

Chapter 76

(Y/n)'s POV

I couldn't think. The gun in my hand seemed to magnify my fear, pulling painful memories to the surface of my mind. Luke's lifeless body. The massacre of comrades. My bloodstained hands. That night...had been my fault.

A startled gasp left my mouth as the guy snaked an arm around my waist and leaned down to whisper in my ear, though to any onlooker, it would have appeared as if he was kissing my jaw. My body tensed.

"You have to get your act together. I know you're afraid of guns but you're doing this to protect your family, right?" he whispered, not unkindly.
"...okay."
"Shove me with the gun. I'm your flirtatious friend who you've known for many years, yeah?"
"...yeah."

I did as he said, though perhaps a little too hard. He shrugged and wrapped his arms around me from behind. Anger and fear mixed in my blood, knowing Langa would get the wrong idea...but that was exactly why this boy was acting this way.

"Knock it off unless you want a bullet in your head."
"Wow, harsh. I can't help how I feel, princess," he replied.
"Jerk."
"I know you love me."

He laughed upon seeing my eye roll. Langa called out my name, though Ayaka spoke up before I could utter a single word.

"I showed him the recording," she exclaimed.
"(Y/n), tell me it's not true..." Langa said, his eyes almost pleading.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to get out, but it's true."
"...what?"
"You were just a toy, something to pass the time with. I enjoyed playing with your feelings."
"Hey, that's no fair. Aren't I enough for you?" questioned my captor.
"Oh buzz off."
"Come on, we're already hooking up. Why don't you admit that you like me?"

I pushed him off as Langa watched us, the shock and hurt plastering itself onto his face. My heart ripped. Blood seeped through its myriad of cracks as it let out a cry, desperately willing him to not believe my lethal words.

"(Y/n), please don't say that..." Langa started.
"Sweetie, I'm telling you the truth."
"Was any of it real?" he whispered, almost not wanting to hear my answer.
"A good lie is simply the truth distorted. While I did lie about my feelings, most other things were true. Cherry and Joe are my friends from way back. I am related to the yakuza."
"The guns? The thing with your brother?"
"That was exaggerated in a way."
"Does Reki know?"
"No, and I plan to keep it that way."
"...will you really threaten to hurt my mum?"

A smirk pulled at my lips as I stalked towards him. I touched the nozzle of the gun against his jaw, noticed him gulp, watched his eyes waver with unspoken heartbreak. My mind was screaming at me to drop the gun. It was a battle trying to keep my body from shaking.

"I killed my brother. It was no accident. He was getting in my way, you see. I wanted him dead."
"Stop..."

Glass shards cut my throat as I uttered another lie.

"I also killed my uncle. He found out how my brother really died and wouldn't stop bugging me about it. He was getting on my nerves, so he had to go too. I staged it so that it appeared like an accident. Now, if I have no problem killing my own family, what makes you think I won't be willing to hurt your mum? She's not my blood relative, she's no one."
"Stop it..."
"Killing her will be like stealing candy from a child," I whispered into his ear.

The pain on his face was indescribable. My own pain mirrored his, with the guilt threatening to tip me over the edge. My hands were beginning to shake so I hurriedly bit my tongue to stop the trembling. Blood went down my throat.

I stepped away, a cheeky smile on my face. Ayaka suddenly stepped forward and slapped me. Anger pulsed through my veins, enough to match the flame in her eyes. A hollow laugh escaped my mouth as I tilted my head to the side.

"You're a monster," she seethed.
"Thank you for the compliment."

Langa looked torn, his concern for me clashing with his growing hatred. A tremble passed through my body as I opened my mouth to release another round of deadly poison.

"You annoy me. Get out of my sight," I said to him, an emotionless expression coating my innermost feelings.

He looked me in the eye, the smallest trace of tears visible through the anger and betrayal. He...despised me. I willed myself to stay still, to keep my mouth shut so that not a single truth would slip out as he walked away with Ayaka.

Once he was far out of sight, I dropped the gun. If not for the two siblings standing there watching me, I would have collapsed into a pile of rubble, broken pieces of what was once a whole structure.

"Good job, sweetheart," he exclaimed.
"Oi, do you not have a heart? How the hell can you say that after what she just did?" Miya replied angrily.
"Listen, I don't care about you or her. I'm just doing my job. (Y/n), my name's Ryota. My sister and I are mercenaries up for hire. We'll be in contact."
"You were asked to keep tabs on her?"
"Of course, now behave yourselves."

Ryota picked up his gun before the two left without another word. I leaned against a tree, collapsing as my knees grew weak. My arms wrapped around my legs as I buried my face against them. My breathing came out unnaturally fast and shallow.

I was shaking as if a giant had grabbed my body and was shaking it ferociously like a rag doll. Guilt and pain seared my heart, a burning flame greedily devouring my flesh and blood. Painful memories flooded my mind, taking away my vision.

You killed him! You should've died instead!

"(Y/n), w-what do I do?" Miya asked tentatively, worry seeping through a crack in his voice.
"R-Reki..."

A moment later, he was urgently speaking into his phone. Tears burned as they slipped down one by one, trampling what little strength I had left. My nails dug into my flesh, drawing fresh blood.

"Reki, get here right now!"