fighter | sequel to monster ✓

don't tell me no

[I.M Changkyun]

I hadn't slept all night. It wasn't really a choice, I was just scared and lonely. Various unknown phone numbers called my phone every hour, I never picked up. I was scared it was Jooheon, just not my Jooheon. I didn't want to hear his cries, or someone else's.

5:59.

I closed my eyes tightly, hoping my phone would stay silent. Counting down the seconds until six, my heart pounded. If it rang, I'd pick up this time. No matter what the number was.

Five, four, three, two, one...

But my phone stayed silent. I let out a deep breath, it was over. Yet curiosity lurked deep down inside me. Who was it? What did they want?

"You shine like the stars, you light up my heart."

No, it couldn't be. I must be hearing things. But there it was lit up on my screen, an incoming call. But this time the number was a repeat. They were calling again.

"H-Hello?" I swallowed any air I could, I was honestly afraid I'd pass out.

There was a chuckle on the other end of the call. "Oh my, it only took ten hours to get a hold of you. Silly silly boy. Don't you want to talk to your boyfriend, comfort him before he's finally gone?"

"What are you doing to him?" Silence. No breathing, no sound, no anything. "I asked you a question, Jaebum, and I expect you to answer it."

"So now you're the boss of me? Don't forget that I'm the one with Jooheon in my basement, not you."

Silence again, he got me there. I had to choose my words wisely or Jooheon could be in more danger than he already was. The quiet seemed to last forever. I was so close to just hanging up, I wanted to go over to Jaebum's etate and rip his smirk off his face.

"Why are you calling me?"

"You don't want to say goodbye to your boyfriend-"

"What the hell do you mean goodbye?!"

Screaming. That's all I heard from that point on. It wasn't just any screaming, it was his. It was Jooheon's. I knew that sound. Even though I'm used to him yelling song lyrics at the top of his lungs not screaming bloody murder.

"Little Jooheon over here killed someone recently. Isn't that lovely?"

I could feel my body heat up, the anger inside me just kept growing. "What are you making him do?"

The screams in the background almost drowned out Jaebum's soft voice. "I'm making him go crazy."

I couldn't speak, I just sat there uselessly with the phone pressed to my ear. There were a series of low whispers in the background and then there was a different breathing pattern on the other end of the call.

"Angel? It's me, Jooheon."

His voice made me cry. Everything about our situation made me cry. I wanted him back so badly. I wanted to hold him and poke his dimples and sing stupid pop songs together. I wanted my boyfriend back.

"Don't cry, please don't cry."

"Jooheon I'm going to get you out of there. I am, I promise you. I will do everything in my power to save you, to bring you home."

"Let's not talk about that, okay? Tell me about you again, I like imagining you."

He seemed oddly calm for someone who was just screaming not even five minutes ago, but I knew his voice. That was my Jooheon.

So I listened and I told him everything from the first time we talked on the phone. My looks, my feelings, my taste in music. I told him everything, but my name.

I couldn't risk it, he knew everything about me already. That made me a target already, but I won't let him use my name. I won't let him woo me over with his voice, I'm not going down easily.

But part of me wanted to believe he wouldn't hurt me no matter what they did to him.

"Angel, I can picture everything about you so perfectly. Tell me your name, complete my picture for me."

"Jooheon, I can't do that. You know I can't."

"Jaebum won't tell me, baby. Don't you trust me?"

I did trust him. I wanted to tell Jooheon everything. But he wasn't Jooheon. He was Jaebum's minion.

"Baby, I'm the same Jooheon you always knew. I'm not letting them change me."

Why did I believe him? After all the evidence I have that Jooheon isn't the same. Jooheon told me himself he was a monster. He told me to kill him before he got to me. What happened to him now?

"Tell me, goddamnit! Tell me your fucking name!"

"J-Jooheon, calm down."

"Don't you want to die, angel?"

"W-What are you s-saying?"

Suddenly all my scars started to tingle, like they were being ripped apart. I wanted to die, but that was before I fell in love. Jooheon made me want to live. This wasn't Jooheon.

"Angel, make it easier for me. Tell me your name. I love you, remember?"

"You're not Jooheon. You don't love me."

"I haven't changed."

"You're right, Jooheon. You've become a monster. So why am I so in love with you?"

And with that I hung up, and I blocked every number Jaebum called me with.

I needed to hurry.

I needed to bring Jooheon home before he was gone forever. I could save him, I could bring him back.

I just needed to see him, he needed to see me. He needed to feel my hand in his, heat my voice in person.

I needed to go now. Whether I was alone or not.

—-

hiii super sorry this chapter was late, i'm so busy lately. it's literally insane.

thank you sooooo much for getting monster to number one in jookyun!! and hopefully you guys keep reading this book :)))))