𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑛 / 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑔

S2 ch 46

It was Jiwon's 16th birthday. He sat in his living room with Jisung and Minho. The three of them had spent the day celebrating, laughing, and indulging in homemade food. But this year was extra special—Hyunjin and Felix had flown all the way from South Korea just to be with him.

The evening was filled with cake and presents. Jiwon unwrapped gifts from his friends, each one bringing a new smile to his face. However, when he tore open Felix’s gift, his face turned beet red. A box of condoms sat in his hands, leaving him utterly speechless.

"Felix!" Jiwon stammered, his eyes wide with embarrassment. "What is this?!"

Felix burst into laughter, clapping his hands. "Just a joke, Jiwon! You're sixteen now—gotta get prepared for anything!"

Jisung laughed by jiwon reaction, "You know he's too innocent. we try to keep him as innocent as possible," Minho said, while Hyunjin smirked but soon became serious. He leaned forward, glancing at Minho and Jisung with an intense gaze

"We need to talk," Hyunjin said, lowering his voice. "People are looking for us. We need to be ready."

Jiwon furrowed his brows. "What do you mean? Who’s looking for us?"

Hyunjin sighed, crossing his arms. "Dangerous people. We don't know how soon they'll come, but we have to be prepared. Jisung, Minho—you two need to train and train Jiwon..."

Jiwon felt a chill run down his spine as Hyunjin looked him dead in the eyes.

"You need to learn how to protect yourself. That includes using a gun."

Jiwon swallowed hard. Minho and Jisung have hoped for this to never happen. After running away, they hoped they could live a normal life by letting all the murder and jisung past behind em and become better people. And also give jiwon a good life without any criminal intentions, but they were wrong. The weight of those words settled over him like a heavy blanket, making the once-festive atmosphere feel ominous.

Later that night, Jiwon lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. The words from earlier kept replaying in his head. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for any of this.

Tap. Tap.

Jiwon sat up, his heart pounding. He turned towards the window and saw a shadowy figure below. Squinting in the darkness, he realized it was Rafayel. The older boy motioned for Jiwon to come down, urgency in his gestures.

Without hesitation, Jiwon pulled on a hoodie and climbed out of his window, landing softly on the ground. He walked up to Rafayel, who looked around cautiously before whispering, "jiwon, it's been so long. Come stay with me for the night. let's celebrate your birthday."

Jiwon hesitated but nodded, feeling an unsettling mix of curiosity and dread. As they disappeared into the cold Russian night, Jiwon had no idea that his life was about to change forever.

----

It was well past midnight, and the world outside was quiet, covered in a thick layer of snow. Rafayel and Jiwon are sharing a leftover slice of birthday cake. The only light came from the dim glow of the streetlights outside, casting a soft glow over their faces.

"This is the best way to end a birthday," Rafayel said, licking some frosting off his finger. "Cake at midnight, just us."

Jiwon grinned. "Yeah, but if Minho and Jisung knew I was sneaking around with you this late, they'd lose their minds."

Rafayel smirked. "That's exactly why we're doing it."

After finishing the cake, they bundled up and stepped outside. The air was crisp, their breath visible in the cold. They started walking aimlessly through the quiet streets, their boots crunching in the snow. Soon, their innocent stroll turned into a playful battle, Rafayel suddenly scooping up a handful of snow and hurling it at Jiwon.

"Oh, you’re dead!" Jiwon shouted, laughing as he retaliated with his own snowball.

They ran through the empty streets, dodging and throwing snow, their laughter echoing into the night. It was moments like these that made Jiwon forget about all the warnings and the looming danger Hyunjin had mentioned earlier. For now, it was just them, free and reckless.

Eventually, out of breath and covered in snow, they collapsed onto a bench in a deserted park. Rafayel turned to Jiwon, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Hey, do you like tattoos?" he asked, brushing snow off his jacket.

Jiwon thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I think they're cool. Why?"

Rafayel grinned. "What if we got matching ones?"

Jiwon's eyes widened. "What? Right now?"

"Yeah, why not? I know a place."

Jiwon hesitated, thinking about Minho and Jisung. They would absolutely kill him if they found out. But then he looked at Rafayel, the excitement in his eyes, and something inside him whispered, "Why not?"

"Screw it," Jiwon said with a grin. "Let's do it."

Rafayel’s smile widened, and he grabbed Jiwon’s hand, pulling him along. They walked deeper into the city, weaving through alleyways and deserted streets until they reached a small, hidden shop with flickering neon lights. The door was slightly ajar, and the faint buzz of a tattoo machine could be heard from inside.

A tall, rough-looking man stood behind the counter, raising an eyebrow as they entered. "You kids lost?"

"We want tattoos," Rafayel said confidently. "Matching ones."

The man studied them for a moment before smirking. "You know this is illegal, right? I don't tattoo minors."

Rafayel pulled some cash from his pocket and slid it across the counter. The man glanced at the money, then at them, and after a long pause, he sighed. "Fine. What do you want?"

Jiwon and Rafayel exchanged a look, grinning. Jiwon said. "Something that means something."

As the needle buzzed and ink met skin, Jiwon felt a rush of adrenaline. He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

After a while, they both got their tattoos cleaned up and wrapped.

Jiwon got one on his arm, and rafayel got one on his neck.

They both got a tattoo of a snake.

To be continued...