Game Over || ATEEZ short story ✓

Quarter Two

At first, there was a confusion thrown over everyone, as if it sprinkled down on them like dust. But then the dusty atmosphere developed into something more powerful as it suddenly became impossible to see anything and the group of boys were thrown into a blind panic. Hongjoong tried his best to keep an overview of the situation he was led into. He was well aware of, that this was something new happening, something they hadn't been exposed to before, but whether this was just part of the training or it was something more serious, he couldn't put his fingers on the right term. Despite the strict rules that were shouted out at all of them in the rows, he still scouted around for more clues he could puzzle together into what was going on. But it wasn't that easy when you weren't born with the height.

Before it even happened, Hongjoong felt the tension flow through the atmosphere and turn molecules around on its way to everything that could be reached around it. Tormulter emerged further ahead in the row, barely visible to the short boy, yet enough to he saw the boys in front of him, jump to the side despite the orders being shouted at them. Hongjoong was left standing half-confused about what was going on, because he couldn't see anything, but also dutifully to a point where he listened to the order that was shouted at them. Time seemed to be glitching and in the next seconds, a boy flew into Hongjoong, who hadn't had the slightest chance of moving away before he was knocked over against the hard cement floor. The shock teared up through his tailbone, further up through his spine, and right up until Hongjoong felt it as an aching spark deep in his brain. He didn't manage to take off with his hands and the extra weight on top of him did also not seem to make the pain lesser. He didn't whine or complain in the slightest, instead, he engulfed the pain, but when he opened his eyes directly up to two large round hazel brown scared eyes, he couldn't stop a shock to squeeze itself out of his neck. Hongjoong gulped nervously, the two boys were so close to each other that their noses almost touched, but also only almost, because in the next second a metallic clicking weapon was pushed up to the side of the foreign boy's face. This wasn't just a joke. He didn't dare move on himself, and in doing so their noses were almost just touching each other.

"You stay where you are."

The deep, cold voice sent a shiver down Hongjoong's back and goosebumps spread like fire over his skin. One of the patrols took a pretty hard grip around the foreign boy's collar and nearly strangled him in the move to get him up on his feet again. Only then did Hongjoong realize how he had held his breath until now. A gun was pushed hard into his temple and it tipped into him with a new wave of adrenaline. His head kept quiet, but his eyes tried desperately to look to the side where the weapon was held, even though he was fully aware of what was going on.

The chuckle was low and erratic with the breath, "You look like you want to come along with the run-off, huh?"

The boy was trying to control his throbbing heart, but it didn't go unseen and the patrol smirked with a low chuckle. It was a satisfying sight for him to see his sacrifice suffer so psychologically heavy in his presence.

"Oh well, then you, come with me."

At least the gun was pulled away, but the hands there touched him were so rough and harsh that the gun had almost been better anyway. Maybe even if it had been pulled around the trigger. Hongjoong felt the eyes in his back, but he wasn't the one who had done anything wrong. And yet, he was being the one who would be taking the consequences. Of course, guinea pigs have to be played with, otherwise it's not fun.

"You could make such a good team out of it along with the run-off. The only one who didn't move for him... So dutiful," the patrol whispered to him in his ear, making Hongjoong only want to swear him over with hell-water and then bury him alive after.