𝙇𝙊𝘼𝘿𝙀𝘿 𝙅𝙐𝘿𝙂𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 ➢𝘼𝙏𝙕. 𝙎𝙀𝙊𝙉𝙂𝙅𝙊𝙊𝙉𝙂

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

━━━━*⃝̥┈┈┈𖥸┈♡┈𖥸┈┈┈*⃝̥━━━━

| 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫... |

Even after three years not much changed in the life of Kim Hongjoong. Despite the fact that he got a salary raise and was able to upgrade to an apartment with an actual room.

As for the team, it was pretty much the same as well, working together on top cases, catching criminals, except for their newest addition who'd joined just two years ago: Jongho. Everyone pitched in to help Jongho overcome his fears, Yunho and Mingi physically trained him, Yeosang and San claimed they mentally prepared him and Wooyoung and Hongjoong took every opportunity to take him with them on a case. He truly was the baby.

But back to Hongjoong, he vowed to himself to never fall in love again, claiming that the whole idea of 'love' was way too complex. But that's not to say that he wasn't enjoying his life, because he was. Doing what he loved, catching criminals. Spending long days and nights cracking cases, putting people behind bars. His life was peaceful.

Currently he'd been wrapping up a homicide case about a psychopathic truck driver, details do not need to be included.

Humming to himself, he loaded sheets into a file and tucked the file into a section in a cabinet. He'd been so absorbed into his work he didn't even notice that he was at the station alone. It wouldn't be the first time this happened though.

And just as he rounded his desk to pick up his bag, darkness. "The electricity went out? Weird." The atmosphere in the office became silent and almost eerie, no sound, no light. "Guess I'll go restart the breaker myself." He pulled his phone from his backpocket and turned the flashlight on, using it to guide him to the electricity room.

Upon entering the dark room he heard shuffling, "Who's there? Are you a technician? Don't know how you could possibly work in-" A hand came over his mouth, silencing the man and his phone was thrown across the room. "Hush." This voice.. why did it seem familiar?

Hongjoong protested in the stranger's grip, but his strength was overcome. And he felt a gun barrel to his head, "Still as feisty as ever.. Now, have a seat will you?" The voice of the man was so familiar, Hongjoong was almost positive he'd heard it before.

Nonetheless, he allowed this stranger to guide him to a chair in the middle of the small room. Hongjoong sat down in the chair, anxiously gripping the edges, "Listen, I'm sure you're making a mistake." He tried to reason in pitch black with the stranger, "You don't remember me? Such a shame."

"Please, I'm sure if I knew you I'd remember you. You've gotta have the wrong person!" A dim light flickered on, illuminating Hongjoong in the chair and a few feet around him. Squinting his eyes, Hongjoong could only make out a dark figure.

"I see how I could've been mistaken, you've dyed your hair since last I saw you, " The stranger commented, noting Hongjoong's now black hair, "That blue hair did suit you so well." Blue hair? Hongjoong tried to recall the last time he'd dyed his hair blue... three years ago. "T-that was three years ago." The figure stepped forward, and Hongjoong could now make out the man's features.

Dark crimson hair, a stunning jawline, absolutely everything about him was crafted by the gods. And that memorable glint in his eyes, Park Seonghwa. But it couldn't be, it just couldn't he was.. in jail? "Y-you're in jail..." Seonghwa shook his head with a smirk, "Correction: I was in jail. Took my sister I couple years to get me out, but she did. And then I proceeded to look for you, Kim Hongjoong. You know, for a police officer you were pretty difficult to find." Hongjoong gritted his teeth, becoming annoyed, "Agent." He corrected coldly. The taller knelt down in front of him, waving the handgun, "Seems you still have no sense of common sense. Who do think you are talking me like that? After all, we wouldn't be in this situation, if you hadn't gone and been exactly what I knew you were from the start: a government dog."

Hongjoong scoffed, now annoyed at the latter, "Well this government dog managed to get your sorry ass behind bars. And you're little sister had to get you out? Pathetic." Seonghwa's short temper kicked in and he delivered a hard smack to Hongjoong's left cheek. "Who. Do. You. Think. You. Are." Hongjoong forced a weak smile, "Oh? I thought you already knew! I'm the government dog that got your sorry ass in jail." Another smack was delivered to Hongjoong's left cheek, tinting it a red hue.

"You've got some nerve to talk to me like that after what you did." Seonghwa clenched his jaw and stood up, looking down at the agent. "But I didn't come here to have petty arguement with you. I came here to get the thing I love most in the world, revenge."
He stepped back into the darkness again, "But first, let's set the mood shall we?" He flicked the dim light off and the two were once again engulfed in darkness.

"Where I have seen this before?" Seonghwa's menacing voice danced through the air. Pure fear struck Hongjoong and he stood up from the chair, throwing his hands up, "Seongh- AH!" A loud bang rang through the air, a small spark from the handgun illuminated the devilish grin on Seonghwa's face.

Hongjoong cries filled the air, begging for help. "P-please! I-it h-hurts!" The smaller male managed to prop his body up on his elbow, pressing his other hand on his leg that was now gushing with red liquid. "How does it feel Hongjoong? To be begging for help, only to be rejected. But we're not done here.. You only scratched the surface with what you did to me. I'm gonna make it hurt ten times more."

Seonghwa put the gun away on his waistband and reached for a knife from his pocket. He approached Hongjoong, once again kneeling in front of him. The other acted quick, trying to push his body away from Seonghwa but was stopped by a strong grip on his leg, sending even more pain and making more blood gush out. "LET ME GO! PLEASE! IT HURTS-" Hongjoong's words were cut off by even more screams. Seonghwa was dragging the blade down Hongjoong's leg, not too deep, but enough to penetrate his skin. "I always admired your skin, so soft.. I found it extremely sexy. Now here I am, ruining it." Seonghwa maintained the smirk on his face, unable to let it fall.

After torturing Hongjoong more Seonghwa finished and wrapped cloths tightly around his leg. "I would let you bleed out and die, but what's the fun in that?" The crimson haired man stood up and turned the light on, absolutely ecstatic to finally see the pain that riddled Hongjoong's face. "Finally learned your lesson babyboy?" He leaned down to caress Hongjoong's face, who quickly turned his face away. "Maybe after this you'll tame that loaded judgement of yours."

"I-I loved y-you.. " Hongjoong managed to choke out those three words, saying them as sincerely as possible. "No you didn't." Hongjoong shook his head, more tears pouring out if his eyes. "I know that you didn't, don't lie to me. And even if you did," Seonghwa leaned his mouth to Hongjoong's ear, "It's too late." This only triggered more sobs more Hongjoong, and Seonghwa wouldn't admit how much he just adored seeing the younger cry. "I'll leave you to yourself now.." He spoke in a singsong voice, straightening his posture. "And here's your phone, might wanna call someone." He kicked Hongjoong's phone to him with a smirk.

"Goodbye Hongjoong. For real this time."

Just as soon as Seonghwa appeared, he left, and it was no coincidence that the electricity came back on as soon as he left.

Wounds that had healed were once again opened, tears that Hongjoong vowed would never spill again, wouldn't stop. Only now could he feel what he only assumed was what Seonghwa felt, both his body and mind were exhausted. If only.. Oh if only he didn't have that so-called:

Loaded Judgement.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔◥♡◤▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

well folks, not all fairy tales have happy endings. but thank you for reading this sad-of-an-excuse for a storyline <3 i hope that you enjoyed reading this book!

i might start working on another ot8 soon, i have an idea but we'll see after i give it some more thought