Blooming red

37. Immutable fate

Third persons

"JAEYUN!"

*bang*

Jaeyun securely holds aera in his embrace , while she cries her breath hitching , eyes tightly shut. When he feels nothing , no pain , not even a scratch on him or either her , he looks up to see yeonjun holding his chest.

He trembles like one trembles on a snowy night , blood oozing from chest , right from his heart. The grey concrete floor now a painted with scarlet red blood as his body falls harshly with a loud thud.

"Y-yeonjun" aera gasps at the sight , shaking terribly but manages to say sane. The young lad looks at her and smiles for the last time before whispering "i deserved it.....im sorry..." his eyelids now firmly shut forever. "Dont look" jake tries to cover her eyes but she shoves his hand away and looks at the man who shot him. "You killed him..." byunjoo stares with rage at her and the barely alive man. "He had to die anyways better if he died first."

No remorse

No emotion

No shame

Nothing

The basement became quieter than before , the grunts echoing , bodies lying lifeless on the floor , some surrendered now in the hold of the boys. "Your turn" byunjoo points the gun at aera the same instant jake points his gun at him , guarding her. "Drop the gun and we can talk this out , no need for more blood shed just for the sake of property" jake says as calmly as he can. "You think im a fool? Talk? After all the mess? After all that years of planning? I have the chance to kill you both right now this instant" he cackles loud but jake doesnt move an inch , his finger steady on the trigger.

"You think you won?" Jake frowns at that comment until it turns into shock when 20 more men gather armed and surrounding his friends who now aim at the men infront of them.

*bang*

"AHHHH!" jake falls on his knees when byunjoo shoots his leg. "JAKE" aera bends down beside him , her hands shivering, confused what to do , she tries to stable her breathing and close's her eyes pressing on his wound to prevent him from further bleeding. Jake hisses at the burning sensation but his attention diverts when his father speaks "Stay alert son , always , just a little recklessness in your focus can cause you a huge loss remember?"

With tears in his eyes , he stares at his father , reminiscing the words he always used to say , he repeated them again even today. He feels the ache of fatherly love he always craved , as if he wanted to become 5 again the only time he built such beautiful memories with his father before his life became a misery just because of him. The wound still fresh , a mere child who was always scared , craved love , craved warmth , became strong for his old mother , his only family , trained up to become a fighter , killed people because of this man , ashamed that in his veins ran the blood of a murderer, a psychopath. Changed himself into a being he loathed to death

All because of him

"Dad...." For the first time in years everyone heard him calling his father dad instead of byunjoo or sim. Aera and the others remain stunned but byunjoo doesnt budge not even at the pain in his voice. "D-did you ever really love me? Or mom? Or... your bestfriend that you so ruthlessly killed? ... did you?" The crack of voice makes everyone silent knowing his pain is something they can never relate too , unbearable, his silent tears slip down his face , his friends stare in amusement and sorrow.

Moment of eerie silence, the atmosphere tense , thick and heavy with hatred and unspoken words , expectations burned to ashes.

"Nonsense....." byunjoo breaks the ice with a bitter words " feelings is all you look for instead of what benefits you.... Perhaps i did as long as it satisfied me , it would've kept me satisfied if you all took my side but..... no." The venom spills from his tongue , jakes sorrow now turning into immense rage losing his sanity.

"Mother f***** , son of a b**** , manw***** , YOU ARE INSANE! YOU'RE NOT A HUMAN! BASTARD! DIE!" he screams at his face making everyone there flinch except that man. "Whatever tsk .... Anyways lets get this over this , nice drama sim jaehyun , thank you for the entertainment" he points his gun and so does jaehyun. The boys still surrounded by his men now aim byunjoo.

" now bye. "

*bang*

"NO!"

Byunjoo shot straight in his head , a headshot and hes dead at the spot. His eyes wide open the gun falls from his hand with a loud bang and so does his dead figure. Jake exhales a breath , one he's been holding for so long but he doesnt feel the pain of the shot.

Because it wasnt him who was shot...

It was aera herself..

She took the shot for him....

"AERA!" he holds her small figure in his arms , she is unable to make any sound by the amount of how painful it is. Shot in her waist , he presses her wound " save your breath , hold on you'll be fine" she now starts crying in agony and so does he , his wound preventing him from standing up.

"What are you looking at , DROP YOUR WEAPONS HE'S DEAD!" jay shouts at the men , who realize they have no reason anymore to be aiming at them so they drop their weapons and get on their knees , the mess attracting the police whose sirens could he heard . "Must be heeseung" they thought.

Sunghoon , chris and jungwon drop their guns and run towards jake and aera. "Aera...." Sunghoon bends down beside her his hands trembling, chris takes off his tie and wraps around jakes wound to suppress the bleeding. "We'll be going to the hospital you'll be fine shhh please calm down" he cries while she is merely breathing now. "You did.... It" she says , a halt to his tears as she speaks "you killed..... him ..... you finally.... Put an end.... To all the..... suffering..... we got justice..." she laughs before crying in pain. "Save your breath for god sake" Sunghoon tried to pick her up but she screams , her fragile figure already beaten up like someone smashed a can , the shot making it worse.

"Thank you for everything ..... that you've done , from caring for me.... Protecting me.... Fighting for me..... and loving me....." she turns her head and smiles at Sunghoon a wide smile "thank you too bestie....for everything.... Sorry I couldn't....keep my promise" Sunghoon vigorously shakes his head "the ambulance is here lets go now come on-"

"Ay! By the way jake..." she looks at him , breathing become difficult for her "tell Heeseung and yeji... that i love them..... and mom too.... You know shes.., my mother as well"

"AERA STOP!"

" And you sim jaehyun...." She smiles like a kid , that one pretty smile that jake adores so much but with tears in her eyes , hiding the fear she's carrying, that she's dying , the one she was always terrified of. "I love you...... i really do..... i'll be by your side..... like the wind.... In this life.... So... till our next one...." She raises her hand to caress his cheek "i love you" and with that she closes her eyes , her pale figure finally stops trembling so does her breath , for eternity .

"No... no, no, no...." He taps her cheek , no response, her skin growing cold as ice. "No aera... rose.. NO!" he hugs her close to him , as if she'll turn to ashes any moment , perhaps not ashes but a body without a soul. He wails , only his cry echoing while everyone else silently mourns. Chris hugs Sunghoon whos crying uncontrollably himself.

Jungwon side hugs jake trying to calm him down. Who knew that a day to celebrate, his own mother's birthday would become the day his childhood lover dies.....

In his arms...

A goodbye that will be buried deep in his heart , a haunting memory , that would tear apart his healed wounds while he stares in the horizon , longing for her....