√ 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 // 𝐻𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐻𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑛

fifteen.

     Hyunjin's body convulsed, head jerking back, and he fell to the floor, still as a stone.

     Nari's heart sputtered out for a moment, her mind unable to comprehend what was happening. Then it started back up again, and she loathed it for being able to function after what she had just witnessed.

     She was stricken silent for a moment, and after the stun faded, her hand went to cover her mouth. It didn't do much to muffle the piercing scream that ripped from her throat.

     Wailing, Nari's legs gave out and she crawled to Hyunjin, pulling him up and into her lap, stroking the sides of his face while tears of agony streamed down her flushed cheeks.

     All the while, the boy, the murderous, evil boy watched her. He seemed confused, which only caused her resentment for him to grow. Kneeling, his eyes flickered between her damp face and Hyunjin's slack, relaxed one.

     "Why are you freaking out so much?" he asked, his tone almost comical. Nari slid her burning gaze up to his. She didn't answer.

     The boy furrowed his eyebrows. "He's not dead, you know."

     Her fingers froze in their actions, causing her to grip Hyunjin's face. Lips quivering, she looked at the boy, wide-eyed.

     "W-what?"

     He snorted. "We were shooting with tranquilizers the whole time. We didn't want to just kill all of them - yet," he corrected himself. But Nari barely heard him.

     She stared down at Hyunjin's face and began to cry again, but with tears of joy. It was okay. He wasn't gone. He wasn't ripped from her world. He wasn't dead.

     It seemed like the boy had had enough of her emotional realization. He nudged her elbow to get her attention.

     "Come on, they may not be dead, but we broke in here for a reason. You're coming with us," he ordered. Her hands gripped Hyunjin's shoulders harshly.

     "And if I refuse?"

     His eyes narrowed, growing cold. "Then we use force."

     Well, she would rather be handled like a human than an object. Stiffly, Nari stood, ignoring the helping hand the boy offered her. He cheerfully overlooked her anger.

     "Thank you, ugh," he groaned, laughing at her expression. "It's so much easier when people don't try and find an escape when there isn't one."

     She shivered at the causal way he talked about the goings on of his gang and shouldered past him into the hallway. "Yeah, I'm sure you all just love when you can point a gun but don't have to use it."

     He gave her a sharp look, stepping out of her room. "Don't talk that way about us," he warned, his voice low, "when you don't know the first thing about us."

     Nari scoffed. "Oh, but I do. I've heard all about your bloodthirsty, violence loving gang. I can't believe that someone would willingly join a group of such sick people - "

     The boy growled and grabbed her shoulders, slamming her into the nearest wall. He shoved his face up to hers, his eyes spilling over with anger.

     "Shut. Up," he spat. "Not everyone gets a choice, okay? Not everyone gets to decide for themselves. Some people have to walk through hell and back so others won't have to. You have no idea what me or anyone in my family has been through. So don't act like you do."

     He released her with a slight shove and stepped back, chest heaving. Nari blinked back the tears that had formed in her eyes and stared at the ground, willing her frightened expression to disappear. After a moment, he looked back at her, studying her face. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.