by Con Template
Seven more remained.
More shots came in her direction.
“Augh!” The bullets ricocheted off the walls of the alley, slicing through Yoori’s arm and slicing off her skin. The heat of the pain ripped through her but she couldn’t waste time tending to her wounds. She still had bastards to kill.
She retreated back to grab the guns from the fallen men behind her. Yoori wiped away the splatters of blood that were streaming down her face and grabbed the guns. She wasted no time in raising her guns. There was nothing to grow accustomed to. To Yoori, holding the guns and knives just felt right.
Like the focus lens on a sniper gun, she narrowed her eyes onto them and began to shoot. The bullets flew out chaotically, yet it met her targets with precision. The bullets went into kneecaps, buried into arms, punctured into chests, shot off pieces of ears and shot off fingers that held guns.
Pain.
She was determined to give them pain and torture before they died.
One by one, they fell, their blood and the flesh from their bodies garnishing the snow. They groaned in agony.
It was funny how, even then, Yoori felt like she was showing them mercy. They would never know that she could do worse than all of this.
“You will never touch her again.” That was the last thing Yoori said before she relished in their screams and began to fire at their heads. The gunshots sounded off, causing sprays of blood and particles of brain tissue to fly into the snow drenched sky. The rage pumped in her veins and she glorified in the scene in front of her. Death surrounded her and for the first time this morning, Yoori felt…satisfaction.
The time to revel in this feeling ended when a loud sound elicited in the alley, leaving Yoori distracted with new company.
Clearly having heard all the commotion from outside, the door to one of the buildings burst open. Three more gang members came out with AK-47’s in their hands. Their eyes grew wide at the carnage before them and with no hesitation, they began to shoot at Yoori.
She instinctively fell to the floor. She picked up two of the fallen men and shielded their bodies over her. The bullets slammed into their bodies and she tried to think of what to do next. It was like the strength had left her after killing those eleven men.
Now, she was just Yoori again.
Now, she was defenseless again.
The continuous firing of the three guns penetrated the silence around them.
These two bodies could only hold off the bullets for so long. She could hear their descending footsteps as they came closer to her. Just another foot closer and they’d have a good aim at her and her brains would be blown out.
When all was lost and it seemed that it was due time for Yoori to meet the bullets, three gunshots roared into the alleyway.
The three men died instantly. Their faces buried head first in the snow when they fell to the ground.
She was saved.
Yoori turned. Her eyes widened when she saw Tae Hyun walking into the alleyway like a dark knight.
He was wearing black from head to toe. A black zip up jacket, black pants and black leather shoes. The snow danced around him. Yoori gazed at the two silver guns in his hands. It was clear he was the one who shot those men.
“Yoori.” He was beside her at once. He placed his guns on the snow. He framed a hand over her cheek. The softness returned to his once hard features. His gentle eyes skimmed over her in worry. “Are you okay?”
Yoori shook under his touch, still reeling from everything that happened to her. Before answering him, Yoori’s ears perked up when she heard sounds of shuffling. More gang members were coming and they were getting closer.
“Tae Hyun, there’s more—!”
“Keep them covering you,” he ordered, already knowing that there were more on their way. His enhanced hearing was as good as hers.
He picked up his guns from the snow and sprinted toward the door where more gang members were piling out with knives and guns in their possessions.
Yoori’s heart dropped when she saw that there were also snipers on the roof. They were lying across the foundation, getting into position to shoot Tae Hyun just as he was fighting the dozens of men whom were barreling into the alley like a hound of dogs. Yoori was ready to run out and help him until she saw that he was more than capable of taking care of himself.
Jumping in the air while kicking down three men with a powerful spin kick, Tae Hyun raised his guns in the air and began shooting at the snipers who loitered on each side of the buildings.
The impressive part?
He didn’t need to focus his eyes on them when he shot them. He was too busy sweeping his leg on the ground, creating a tornado of snow in the air and throwing several gang members off their feet. He didn’t focus his eyes on the snipers, yet one by one, in sequential order, six of the snipers fell like deadweights to the ground.
“You shouldn’t have messed with my girlfriend,” Tae Hyun growled just as he punched several eyeballs out. He was clearly pissed that she had to resort to hiding behind dead carcasses as her shield from their bullets. “You just made the biggest mistake of your lives.”
While shooting upward, Tae Hyun was also kicking and elbowing each of the gang members charging at him, skillfully maneuvering around their swiping knives. There were a couple of gunshots that sprang into the alley but, each time, Yoori only heard sounds of other men groaning. Tae Hyun had allotted opportunities for himself to use others around him as shields. Seizing their arms and throwing others in front of him, they all began to stab, slit throats, and buried bullets into one another while Tae Hyun acted as their puppet master.
He shot upward again, this time shooting the last remaining snipers who had just taken a swipe at him, slicing off skin from his shoulder and piercing the heart of a gang member beside him.
“Who the fuck are you?” one shouted just before Tae Hyun bashed his head against the wall. Bones cracked and his face turned to mush at the powerful impact.
“Your fucking King,” Tae Hyun answered regally, performing a roundhouse kick to three gang members while aiming his guns upward. Another sniper bullet had just missed him. He threw his guns high into the air after he shot them. While doing this, Tae Hyun grabbed the heads of the gang members surrounding him with his unoccupied hands and began to snap their necks like twigs.
One…two…five…eight…
He successfully snapped eight necks apart before his guns fell back into the safety of his awaiting hands.
Once the last remaining snipers tumbled from the sky and fell onto several gang members on the ground, Tae Hyun averted his full attention to the dozens still standing before him. With no more evasions or distractions, Tae Hyun began to shoot at them, alternating each time by jumping onto alley walls and firing bullets from the air. The bullets plunged into the top of their heads. Once his heels fell back onto the foundations of earth, he began delivering bone-crushing blows with his elbows and the backend of his silver guns.
Yoori was in awe as she analyzed all his moves. His reflexes and agility were to be envied…even by Yoori, who realized what a challenging opponent he would be if she were to wage a battle with him.
In the alley with Jae Won’s gang, when Yoori was first given a taste of Tae Hyun in action, she realized now that Tae Hyun was showing mercy when he fought with the Dragons gang. Considering what she was seeing now, she knew he could’ve easily overpowered Jae Won’s gang. He could’ve easily been more vicious…
The last sound of gunshots, breaking of bones, and snapping of necks swam into the once hectic alley, stealing Yoori out of her trance. The world around them was quiet again as dozens upon dozens of bodies laid in the alley like a river of death.
Tae Hyun was done.
Averting his attention back to her, Tae Hyun stuffed his guns into the holsters behind his back and ran back to Yoori. There were splatters of blood on his face and body. She wasn’t even fazed by the fact that he just murdered countless people in front of her.
That should’ve been Yoori’s first clue that something was changing within her because all she felt was relief that he was okay. When he came closer, she noticed that he had some bruises on his face. She examined him. There were knife wounds on his upper body and his legs as well. He may have come out of the battle victorious, but he definitely hadn’t come out unscathed.
“Yoori.”
As Tae Hyun stood above her, his face gentle with her as ever, Yoori suddenly realized something…
She lowered her eyes onto the snow when she finally felt the blood drip off her face. The blood didn’t belong to her. It was only after she surveyed the scene before her did it all come together for her…
It was like an out of body experience.
Akin to waking up from a stupor, Yoori’s eyes expanded when she stared at the bodies she was using to cover her. She peered at the dead men behind her and gazed at the blood covering her hands. She touched the splatters of blood on her face. A gasp ran through her soul. She just killed…She just killed all eleven of them.
A scream emitted from her lips and she started to gasp for air. “I just – I just killed—!”
“Shh, it’s okay, Yoori. It’s okay.” She felt Tae Hyun crouch beside her. He whispered calming words to soothe her, yet she heard none of it. She closed her eyes and covered her muffled screams. What did she just do?
“I just killed them, Tae Hyun! With my bare hands!” The thought inundated her mind. It drowned her.
“They all deserved to die,” he appeased, though she could hear in his voice that he was worried for her too.
It was no secret that An Soo Jin was trained to be a ruthless killer. The simple fact that Yoori was able to tap into those killer instincts only meant one thing: she was not only changing everyday, but it also meant that An Soo Jin, even in a fleeting moment, had woken up and made her brief appearance in the Underworld.
For a horrified Yoori, she feared it wouldn’t be the last time Soo Jin made an appearance.
“Chae Young needs you, Yoori,” Tae Hyun whispered, changing the subject. He knew Yoori would wallow in misery if he didn’t pull her out in time. He cupped his hands over her cheeks and brought up the one thing he knew would pull her back to earth. He stared down at her, his eyes noting the distraught in her eyes. Yoori knew that he could read what she was feeling.
At the reminder of Chae Young, Yoori felt her heart wrench again. She also felt some sanity return to her.
He went on, noting the calmness in her eyes. “I know that you’re hurting right now…that you’re overwhelmed with everything going on right now. But you have to stay strong for her. We have to go see her now.”
“Where is she – ”
“She’s at the hospital.” He began to wipe away the splatters of blood on her face. “Jae Won is rushing over there to see her.”
“But someone needs to be with Jae—”
“Kang Min and Hae Jin are there with him.”
“Her dad—”
“He’s already been contacted,” he interrupted understandably, still wiping the blood off with his thumbs. “He’s coming.”
She was still perplexed. Her mind was still all over the place. “But is she going to be ok—”
“She’ll be fine. I’ve already called the hospital and requested one of the best doctors to oversee her. She’ll get the best treatment and she’ll be fine. But she won’t want to see you like this. She’s been through a lot. You’re going to have to stay strong for her. Can you do that, Yoori?”
At his soothing words, Yoori nodded slowly. Tae Hyun was right. She couldn’t go to the hospital and attempt to be by Chae Young’s side if she wasn’t stronger.
Tae Hyun smiled when she nodded. “Good.” He pulled his hands away and tore off the black jacket he was wearing. He wrapped it around her and kissed her forehead.
“I’m taking you home first. You need to wash away all this blood before you walk into that hospital.” He carefully pulled her up, wrapped her in his arms, and allowed her to lean against his body as they walked back to his awaiting motorcycle.
Snow continued to encircle them and, for the first time, Yoori felt the coldness.
“You did nothing wrong,” Tae Hyun assured her, knowing fairly well that she would be consumed with remorse if he didn’t mend the guilt for her now. “Death for them was too kind.”
Those words were the last thing a dazed Yoori remembered before she got onto the motorcycle, wrapped her arms around Tae Hyun’s back, and fell into a trance as they drove back to the apartment before they went to see Chae Young.
She was still so out of it.
She never turned back to look at the carnage she created. She knew she didn’t have to look back. She knew that this very moment would catch up with her regardless. She just viciously murdered eleven gang members. There was no way to forget that or sweep it under the rug.
It was like opening Pandora’s Box. Even subconsciously, Yoori knew it was only a matter of time before all other aspects of Soo Jin’s “being” came out of her as well.
This fact scared her.
It scared the living hell out of her.
“Your time has come.”
27: Revenge
When they arrived at the hospital, Yoori and Tae Hyun waited in the corridor beside the emergency room with Hae Jin, Kang Min, and Jae Won. No one spoke as they waited. Hae Jin and Kang Min were sitting on the tiles against the wall, each on either side of Jae Won. He was pale as a ghost while he sat there, his eyes lost in a distraught trance. Yoori was no better. She sat on a small bench with Tae Hyun, her eyes lost in a similar daze.
Tae Hyun held her in his arms, whispering soothing words every now and then to make sure she was okay. Everyone was depressed. It was a complete 180 from their boisterous dinner two nights ago.
"She's going to be okay," Tae Hyun whispered into her ear, holding her hand.
Yoori didn't say anything, but she bathed in his reassuring words. His voice, his warmth, his presence…it was the only thing keeping her sane and it was the only thing that comforted her.
In the course of this waiting period, Yoori also had to speak to two cops. They asked her the usual questions about how she found Chae Young and whatnot. Her fragmented mind proved to be beneficial to her as the cops were very sympathetic to her pain and didn't purge for more information that dealt with her running out on the scene. They just accepted her answer that she was distraught (which was true) and just couldn't handle seeing her best friend in such a condition.
In this timeframe, Chae Young's father, Mr. Lee arrived. Mr. Lee had always been a tough boss to Yoori, but she loved him all the same because behind the tough exterior, she knew he was a sweet man. It broke her heart that she had to reunite with him in the worst of situations. Mr. Lee, although frantic and panic-stricken, was incredibly appreciative of Yoori for being the one to find Chae Young. He couldn't stop thanking her and hugging her. He was crying too, which broke her heart even more.
Soon after, Chae Young was finally out of the emergency room and was moved to a private room that Tae Hyun arranged for. If there was one thing that continued to surprise Yoori, it was Tae Hyun's stature in this city. All he had to do was make a call, say that it was Kwon Tae Hyun calling and doors would open at the sound of his name. For Chae Young, that was what Tae Hyun did in terms of getting her one of the best doctors and getting her a private room for recovery (all at his own expense).
When she was moved to her room, the cops went in to speak to Chae Young. After they left, Chae Young’s father went in to see her. He came out crying 20 minutes later. He motioned for Yoori to come in.
"She only wants to see you,” he whispered in between sobs. “She's not ready to see anyone else."
Everything still felt surreal to Yoori. Turning around, she gazed at Jae Won wearily. “Do you want to go in with me?”
"Go in first," he replied, his gaze following Mr. Lee, who was sitting on a bench, crying to himself. "She wants to see you first."<
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She knew Jae Won was dying to see Chae Young though. He had been worried sick for his girlfriend. If Yoori weren’t lost in such a stupor, then she would've put more effort into bringing him in with her. But she had no energy either. She just wanted to see her friend.
"I'm going to go make sure he's alright."
That was the last thing Yoori heard before Jae Won walked over to Mr. Lee to no doubt comfort his girlfriend's father. It was the last thing she heard before she left Tae Hyun's side and stepped into Chae Young's room alone.
Chae Young had fallen asleep in the short amount of time that her father left her. Her face was free from blood now. There were stitches on her forehead, cheeks, and stitches that could be seen on her bare arms. Physically, she looked better than this morning but psychologically, Yoori knew Chae Young was no better.
"Chae Young?" Yoori asked, reticent with disturbing her sleep.
Yoori nearly jumped out of her skin when Chae Young started screaming in her sleep.
"Yoori, Yoori!" Her eyes snapped open and she surveyed the room in panic.
Yoori ran to her. She leaned over and framed her hands over her cheeks. "I'm here, I'm here. I’m here, hun.”
"Yoori!" Chae Young shouted at once. Terror consumed her teary eyes. "Yoori, you have to be careful!"
Yoori swallowed painfully. She nodded at Chae Yong, understanding how traumatic this had been for her. "Chae Young, it's okay. Tae Hyun took care of those guys," she lied. "They won't ever come back to bother you."
Chae Young shook her head, fresh tears forming in her red-shot eyes. She grabbed onto Yoori's hand. Worry pulsed in her voice as she coherently said, "No, no, no! You have to listen to me, Yoori! Th – They came for you!"
Yoori's heart stopped. "What?"
The distress escalated in Chae Young’s voice. "Th—They wanted me to call you…to lure you out alone. But I wouldn't do it." Her chest started to rise and fall, sobs threatening to tear out of her. She struggled to tell Yoori everything. It was as if she was afraid Yoori would be attacked right then and there. "And – And then they took out their knives and the girl…" Horror embalmed her eyes at the reminder of the girl. "Th – The girl told them to do this to me. She told them to do whatever they needed to do to—"