The Witness ➳ Taegyu

22. Hold Your Fire

A/N: One more chapter for tonight ✌.

*The next day*

Date: May 10th

After their conversation, they went to bed without another word to each other, but... after Beomgyu watched his movie and Taehyun ate his food. In different rooms of course.

"I don't want to go!" Beomgyu yelled from his room. Taehyun asked him to come with so they could go grocery shopping, but Beomgyu was still upset about yesterday.

"You can't stay mad at me forever," Taehyun sing-songed, leaning his back against the door.

"Yes I can."

Taehyun just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You remember what happened last time I left you home alone? What happened Beomgyu?"

There was silence for a moment, and Taehyun smiled in victory, but the celebration was too soon. "I won't leave the house while you're gone this time. I'll be fine."

"I don't want to go alone," Taehyun complained. "Please. What can I do to get you to come?"

When he didn't hear anything, he almost gave up, but the door behind him opened and he fell back on the floor. "Don't pester me about Daegu anymore. And don't ask me to leave your side at all. That's what you can do."

Taehyun groaned and rubbed his ass when he stood up. "Fine. You shithead- ow!" He yelled when Beomgyu smacked him on the shoulder. The boy walked to his bathroom to get dressed, and Taehyun was just glad he somewhat conquered the nasty mood Beomgyu woke up in.

When they got to the store, the usual happened. Whenever Beomgyu was sad or just not happy for whatever reason, buying all of his favorite food cheered him up. The mention of the Xbox again, however, made him glare at Taehyun.

Assuming the chance of running into Kami again was slim, Taehyun walked around in his disguise, but Beomgyu didn't. If there were other member of Black Reaper around, they would have no reason to believe that the two of them were the people Kami was after. Taehyun predicted that she told them both of them would be wearing disguises. If only Taehyun was wearing one, then no one would think they were the targets.

Taehyun still had to wear one for obvious reasons regarding his identity though.

After shopping, they unpacked their groceries at home before going to eat at some sort of outdoor restaurant. The groceries mainly consisted of instant meals and snacks anyway, so going out to eat lunch instead was valid.

The entire time, Taehyun wanted to continue their conversation from yesterday, but he didn't want to see Beomgyu that upset again. Whether it be the extreme sadness or anger that Beomgyu showed, Taehyun wanted to see neither of them again.

Besides, Beomgyu's calm mood probably meant that he was trying to avoid the conversation right now. Taehyun just hoped they could continue it soon.

While walking back to the car after eating, Beomgyu was trailing a little bit behind Taehyun, and the cop quickly turned around when he heard struggling. "Stop!" He yelled when two members of Black Reaper were holding Beomgyu back.

But before he could do anything, someone came up behind him and uncovered his face. He quickly pulled out his tazer and turned around to hurt the guy, about to help Beomgyu when both men pointed their guns at him.

"Come with us, and he won't get hurt," one of them spoke.

Taehyun calmed his nerves and made knowing eye contact with Beomgyu. "You can continue pointing your guns at me, but hand him over to me. I won't try anything. I just want to make sure he isn't harmed."

They looked at each other before pushing Beomgyu forward, and he caught him before he could fall.

If they were sent by Kami to take Beomgyu and the cop protecting him, they weren't given orders to shoot the two of them. Not only that, but Taehyun didn't know these two, and that meant that they probably didn't know his face either.

As fast as he could, he pulled Beomgyu to the car, hearing gunshots hit the cars that they were shielding themselves behind in the process.

"Hold your fire."

Taehyun knew that voice.

Beomgyu finally got into the car and held his head down, but Taehyun stood behind his open door, staring at Kami who had walked into the parking lot.

"What the Hell?!" She screamed before punching one of the guys who was about to shoot Taehyun after she yelled the words. "I said to hold your fire, damnit!" She looked back at Taehyun and in all the years they knew each other, trained together, and were each other's best friends when it seemed like a foreign concept within Black Reaper, Taehyun had never seen her look so hurt. "It was you?" She asked. "It's been you all along? You're the mastermind who outsmarted Black Reaper and erased that kid's identity? Why?" Her voice broke. "Why did you betray us? Why did you betray me?!"

He didn't say anything and got in the car to drive away, knowing that she wouldn't shoot at him. Any wrong words could have made her order her men to kill him, so he left her with no more knowledge than the fact that he betrayed her. He left her to cry so he could get himself and Beomgyu away safely, and while speeding away, he felt himself about to cry too.

*Eleven years ago*

"Do you ever wonder why we can't go to normal school?" Kami asked, swinging on the indoor set in her bedroom while Taehyun did homework on her bed. "Like... I hear the adults say that they went to schools with a bunch of kids. But it's just you and I!"

"We're the only kids in Black Reaper," Taehyun replied, quickly writing down answers so he could be finished with it already.

"I mean yeah, but why? How come we're the only kids here?"

The answer to that question was something they didn't learn until later in their teenage years. Members of Black Reaper couldn't have children, and if they did, they had to leave. The only exception was the boss, but Kami's father was a close friend of his, so they were able to stay.

Back then, the question confused them a lot. "I mean, you're Mr. Kang's son, so that's understandable. But what about me? What makes me the only special kid?"

Taehyun looked over at her and shrugged. "Maybe they knew you would be so cool."

For seventeen years, they were the only friends each other had. Even when Taehyun became the second commander after Seojun when he was only twelve years old, he still spent most of his time with Kami. He was the one who asked his father to make her a commander as well when they were fifteen.

They were absolutely inseparable, and constantly harassed Seojun who was ten years older than them, which led to his constant complaints that he had to work with children.

When it was announced that Taehyun and his father both died, Kami was devastated, and lost the kind personality that she had. It was that which made her more ruthless when it came to her responsibilities.

*Present day*

She saw her childhood best friend who she thought was dead these past few years betray her and the Black Reaper, and you can bet it hurt like hell.