Sasaeng Sister [In big roles: Sunghoon, Lee Know, skz, Ateez, Jungkook]

Chapter 30

The last I saw of Minho was the tip of his white sneaker as he fell off the roof.

There had been a time when I hadn't known him: when I had played with Barbies in my spacious bedroom, Minho had danced with his sister somewhere in Korea. When I had sat in a stuffy classroom, listening to lectures about the American Revolution, Minho had traveled the world with BTS.

Back then, it had been as if we existed in separate worlds. But now, Minho was an irreplaceable part of my world.

He was my brother, and I didn't want to live without him.

I would have rather had the knife pierce my heart than watch him fall, helplessly swinging his arms, attempting to regain balance and hold on to anything.

The wind blew hair on my face as if the heavens wanted to cover my eyes and save me from the scene. But it was too late. My brother falling off the roof was etched on my retina.

All sounds around me became muffled as I squeezed my eyes shut, unwillingly re-watching the moment again and again until a sharp yell pierced the night. The shouts and grunts came from the brawl between Sunghoon and the knifeman.

I had to wake up from the mist, but my mind jammed.

Almost like in a dream, I walked toward the spot where Minho had fallen and where Sunghoon continued to fight for his life. My vision was blurry on the sides, and my legs moved on their own.

I had to see if Minho had been able to grab onto something on his way down.

He couldn't have died.

The thought of him being gone left me completely and utterly hollow.

To my surprise, Sunghoon had the upper hand in the fight. He repeatedly struck the man with a brick he had found somewhere. Each strike was accompanied by an anguished snarl, as if hitting the man also hurt Sunghoon. Yet he didn't stop nor hold back power in his punches. The scene was somewhat barbaric, and the wound on Sunghon's cheek looked like a war painting as the blood had smeared.

The knifeman whimpered, unable to protect himself. He collapsed on the ground, covering his head with both arms.

I think I should have told Sunghoon to stop before he killed the man, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the moving brick. It was strange to find a brick on a modern rooftop with railings instead of brick fences.

Sunghoon let out one last cry as he smashed the brick against the roof surface. Tears welled in his eyes, and he panted, folding over to lean on his knees. His trembling hands slipped, so he had to stand tall. He ran his fingers through his hair to push aside some tangled strands on his sweaty forehead.

"I... think..." he mumbled, looking down as if afraid to face me after what he had just done.

The knifeman lay in a lump, his breaths coming out in weak wheezes.

Sunghoon looked at me with haunted eyes.

"It... was... the only thing I could do."

He wiped his bloody palms on his jeans as if they were dirty from the beating he had given. In reality, the blood came from the cuts he had sustained earlier in the maintenance hallway.

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. First, I needed to see if Minho had survived.

I took the last few steps to the edge, clutching the cold iron railing. I peered over, holding my breath.

There was a balcony!

And Minho was there! He slowly pushed himself up to his hands and knees, still collecting himself after the fall. The apartments on the highest floor seemed to have a low ceiling because the balcony wasn't that far below. Even so, Minho could have died if he had landed head first. But he hadn't. He was still alive!