fighter | sequel to monster ✓

am i supposed to love you?

[I.M Changkyun]

There he was. He looked damaged and hurt. His hands were tied in front of him, the material cutting into his wrists. I wanted to approach him, but he didn't even know who I was. Right? He wouldn't remember, would he?

"J-Jooheon? It's me."

His head rose, our eyes interlocking. His bottom lip quivered, his mouth forming half a smile.

"Are you my angel? The one I'm supposed to love, the one I'll kill by the end of the night?"

His voice was light and airy, he wanted this. And part of me wanted his desires to be met. Would he have to kill me to find himself again?

My feet drifted towards him, and no matter how hard I tried to hate him in that moment I just couldn't. I loved Jooheon even if he didn't love me right now.

"I thought I lost you, Jooheon. I read your letters everyday. I got your ring, too. I wear it all the time. Would you like to see?"

He threw his head back. I knew he remembered, I knew that part of him remembered everything. Jaebum wanted to erase him, but he could never forget me. I extended my hand to Jooheon's face, lifting his head to face me. His hands twitched, as if he wanted to touch me. He wanted to feel me again, I was finally here.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Get off of me."

"I know you remember me. T-There's no way you could forget all the nights of watching my favorite show. The one with t-two love interests."

"Get off of me! I don't know you! I don't love you!"

I heard footsteps rush into the room, it could only be Shownu and the others. Jaebum wouldn't want to stop this, he was ruining me.

"I don't love you! I don't love you! Leave me alone! I'll kill you, I swear I will!"

And I listened to all of Jooheon's words. Because in that moment, he meant every single one of them. I stood there in shock, I wasn't able to move. Maybe it was supposed to happen like this, there was no way that Jooheon would actually love me. My mind was playing tricks on me, that's what always happened.

It was impossible to love me.

"Changkyun, come here. Let's just take a step back. We'll get him home. Come on, bud."

"S-Shownu, he doesn't l-love me. Not e-ever, not anymore."

I turned around, my back to Jooehon. Shownu's eyes filled with tears, his arms were opened. Jooheon had finally broken me down and now Shownu wanted to kill him. Jooheon's screams filled the room and I was constantly reminded he didn't love me. I wrapped myself in Shownu's embrace and the world stopped spinning. I should've never came here.

I pulled Shownu's ear to my mouth, my tears stopped and I told him the truth. "Get Soyou and leave. I'll be okay. I need to do this alone, I created this mess."

"Nice try, Changkyun. None of us are leaving you. And you're a terrible whisperer." Kihyun punched me in the arm, his smile brighter than ever. "I told you we'd save him together, right?"

"Yeah, and uh, I've been here since your crushing phase. So I get to stay and shut down anyone who tries to stop this love story from going good." Wonho's hands rested on his hips, his chest puffed out. He was a superhero of a best friend, I'd never let him go.

"Then let's do this."

I looked back, but Jooheon was gone. The lights flickered. Soyou's cries were the only noise in the room. Shownu made his way to his wife with no obstacles. Wonho searched the area, there were no signs of danger. Kihyun checked the cameras, and there was no movement.

Something was wrong. My stomach twisted, my heart dropped. I felt like I was going to die.

"Changkyun, no!" Wonho's voice rang through the room as he picked two guns from their holsters.

Everything around me was in slow motion.

Shownu's arms carried a deadweight, still Soyou. His eyes never leaving her, all the color leaving her body. Wonho single handedly took down every one of Jaebum's men. Kihyun rushed to Soyou's side, trying to figure out what Jaebum had put in her bloodstream.

Until my airway was being cut off by a pair of hands that once held me through my worst nightmares. I didn't need to see him to know it was Jooheon, I was his target. His body pressed against mine, draining all the life out of me.

Do I give up now? Of course not.

"R-Remember the time we practiced shooting t-together. Y-You'd hug me every t-time I shot on target."

His grip loosened for just a second, before tightening once again.

"Or h-how about when y-you told me y-you didn't love S-Seoyeon anymore. That w-was after we k-kissed for the first t-time."

I could feel his heart beat speed up.

"What about a-all our sleepless n-nights together. Y-You would hug me all n-night."

His breathing picked up its pace.

"All t-the times we w-were scared to get c-caught by Shownu."

Shownu's eyes turned to mine, I shook my head. I needed to do this alone. The tears fell from my brother's eyes, for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Remember w-when W-Wonho burst into t-the room calling you m-my 'loverboy?'"

Wonho stepped towards me but quickly recoiled. It was working, Jooheon was slowly letting go. No one could stop him but me, they knew that.

"J-Jooheon you even t-thought Kihyun was my n-new boyfriend, when he's m-my b-brother. How s-silly is that? I only love you."

He let go of me. The air around quickly refilled my lungs. Everyone in the room was frozen, it was silent. I stared at Jooheon like I had every other day of my life, I was in love. He just needed to see that, he needed to remember how much he means to me.

I fell to the floor, my knees hitting the cold ground. Jooheon flinched. Every time I was with him, hours could feel like seconds. Laughter could be heaven. His touch could heal me. Even now, he was my antidote.

"I'm not afraid Jooheon. You have a mission to kill me. The only question is, are you going to accept or decline that mission?"

I stared into his eyes, waiting for his tears to start falling.

"I am not afraid of you Jooheon. I don't care how much you break me down, I love you more than anyone else. I want you to be happy, will this make you happy?"

My heart skipped a beat as he pulled a pistol from his belt. He pointed it straight at me. But I didn't move, I wouldn't back down now.

"C-Changkyun, Changkyun no. I will not lose you." Shownu's whispers echoed through the room.

Wonho raised his gun at Jooheon. Their eyes met. "I know you Jooheon. This isn't you, so do the right thing here. Choose to be happy again, choose to fall back into love. Choose Changkyun, choose your family. Don't be stupid."

I closed my eyes. Silence surrounded me. "You heard Wonho, don't be stupid now. Make the right choice."

"C-Changkyun?" Jooheon's voice wasn't soft, it was confused. "Do you really love me?"

My eyes opened. "I loved you since the first day I met you."

"I'm sorry."

His finger curled around the trigger, but a smile formed on his face.

His eyes watered intensely, his smile turning to a pout. "T-This isn't me."

"Show me you, Jooheon. Show me you're there."

"I love you forever, I pinky promise. I signed every letter I wrote to you with that."

"Y-You remember-"

***

hi omg, i'm so sorry i've been gone. i'm just going through it right now but i know you guys really want to know what happens to jookyun. there will be a chapter after this one! i'll publish it shortly after this one :)