Amor Vincit Omnia (Chapter VI)
Title: Amor Vincit Omnia (Love Conquers All)
Pairing: Yoosu, Jaesu, Yunjae, Minsu, brief mention of Hyukhae
Rating: PG/PG-13
Genre: Angst, action, drama, romance.
Length: Chaptered
Summary: In this world, there has always been a wide margin between the rich and the poor. Kim Junsu, second son of the rich Kim Corporations and Park Yoochun, a penniless young man with a warm and loving heart who is forced to join an illegal gang, are seemingly on opposite sides of the Earth. However, Fate plays a trick on both men and their paths cross in an unexpected twist of events.
A/N: Originally posted here at winglin. Reposted here at LJ for the benefit of all Yoosu fans :D
Chapter VI: Fallen
Yoochun’s eyes flew wide open as he recognised the beaten up face before his eyes. Sure, it was bruised, bloodied and lifeless, but he could identify him any day. Kim Junsu - Xiah - the man whom he had only met once in his twenty one years of life - the memory could not be wiped out from Yoochun’s mind.
“One Kim is better than none,” Donghae wore a grin as he shoved the now-unconscious Junsu into Yoochun’s arms, who caught the smaller figure securely. “Park, tie him up. Make sure the bastard doesn’t escape or it’ll be your head.” Taking in deep breaths, Yoochun did as he was told with shaking fingers as he secured Junsu’s limbs with rope, trying not to hurt the man with the coarse fibres. “Make it snappy, we’ve only got 40 minutes to haul him to Siwon’s quarters or he’ll throw a temper.” Donghae snapped. Throwing the remains of the rope into the back of the van, Yoochun carried Junsu to the backseat and settled him down there softly.
The van drove off over the wet grass patches, leaving a muddy track but otherwise no sign of the immoral deed that just had been committed a few minutes ago.
* * *
Dead silence.
It was so silent that if someone blinked, another man literally, could hear it.
All the men held their breaths and stared straight ahead in neat rows, trying not to gulp from the unbearable pressure and apprehension that hung heavily overhead in the room. Choi Siwon was sitting at the head of his desk once again, his chin in a hand and his mind buried deep in thought. Yesung stood to the back of him, his cool dark eyes sweeping over the room and finally settling on the sleeping man to the right of Siwon.
“You …” Siwon finally parted his lips to speak.
“Useless bunch of fags.” There was so much intensity in his words that all the men cringed visibly. “Was it really so hard trying to capture just one man? Kim Jaejoong, who knew neither martial arts nor self-defense, could wriggle easily out of your hands just thanks to his equally-ignorant brother?”
A newcomer spoke timidly without thinking, “B-But Mr C-Choi, at l-least we succeeded in k-kidnapping K-Kim J-Junsu …” Siwon did not give him the chance to finish the sentence before leaping out of his seat, livid with anger, and picked him up by the collar, flinging him mercilessly against the wall. Every eye turned to the two men before widening at the sight of the helpless man sliding limply down the whitewashed wall, leaving a long bloody trail of fresh blood that oozed from the wound on his head.
Even Yesung could not mask the surprise on his face, his features twisted into one of shock. He had never seen Siwon openly hurt or show any sign of violence towards their brothers. He knew that if he spoke up now, he would most probably end up having the same fate as the unconscious, wounded man on the ground now.
Siwon seemed to deflate after taking out his anger on one of his men. The glint still noticeable in his eyes, Siwon barked in a sharp tone, “You there. You will be in charge of watching over the prisoner until further orders. Take him to the room on the top floor. ” He pointed at Yoochun. Beckoning to Yesung, the latter leaned in closer and Siwon whispered a few words in his ear before he drew back, his signature smirk upon his face. His anger not quite dissipated, Siwon exited the room, flanked closely by the rest of the men, leaving Yesung, Yoochun and Junsu alone.
Wordlessly, Yoochun walked over to Junsu, carried him up gently in an embrace and followed Yesung up the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, Donghae spotted the way Yoochun treated Junsu and immediately felt suspicious of his behaviour.
* * *
Jaejoong groaned, feeling tendrils of pain overwhelming his torso and red scratches that were visibly seen covered every inch of his skin. Struggling to sit up, he realised he had fallen down the side of a hill. If not for the prickly branches that caught at his expensive suit, Jaejoong realised, he would probably be dead by now. He glanced at the now cracked face of his watch. Thankfully, it was still working. 3.28pm, read the clock’s hands. Three twenty eight … Jaejoong started with a yelp. They were scheduled to sign the deal with the Lees at five, and he was still stranded in the middle of lonely wilderness. Ignoring the pain, Jaejoong leapt up and continued to sprint in the direction which he prayed, was the right one.
The tall grass fluttering in the wind slowly gave way to a bright meadow. There, a clear stream gurgled merrily with an abundant supply of fishes swimming freely within its depths. Jaejoong spotted a man in a bleached straw hat and fishing rod in hand, frozen on his wooden stool beside the stream and concentrating on his line, hard. It didn’t take a genius to see that the figure was literally praying that he would reel in a catch anytime soon. Jaejoong took a few steps towards the figure before hesitating for a moment. He looked like a madman in his attire and he didn’t want to be misunderstood with the wrong intentions.
Too late, he wasn’t given any time to react as the man directed his gaze over at him in a bewildered manner and then opened his mouth to yell, “Hey!” in astonishment. Jaejoong locked gazes with the man and it didn’t take him a second to bolt instinctively. “Hey! Wait! Stop!” The man called after him and began to chase after Jaejoong.
Looking back, Jaejoong cursed audibly before noting that the man, equally well-built (or probably even better built than him, Jaejoong thought) and taller than he was, running after him and shouting, “Wait! Stop!” all the way. But Jaejoong did not stop.
Feeling his energy wearing out by the minutes, he was taken by surprise as suddenly, with an almighty leap, the man tackled him to the ground and sat on him heavily. Jaejoong struggled and aimed a punch at the other’s jaw, but his fist was caught by the other’s hand. “W-Wait … Listen to me …” The other man pulled off his straw hat and breathed heavily. Jaejoong could now see that a young, unlined face with a strong, masculine jaw was exposed to his eyes.
“Are you Kim Jaejoong?”
* * *
“Put him in the corner over there.” Once they entered the barren, cold room, Yesung motioned expressionlessly to the furthest corner where two thick, sleek, metal chains were nailed to the wall. Yoochun shivered, but he did not dare to disobey orders. He laid Junsu’s limp body on the ground, his hands suddenly feeling empty and cold. Donghae was silent but both men felt an ominous mood settle across them.
“Mr Choi has some special orders for our little hero here,” Yesung had a sadistic grin on his face that Yoochun did not quite like. “You two, guard the door. Make sure no one comes in to rescue this fallen hero or you’ll be the next one to experience this special treatment.”
Yoochun and Donghae backtracked a few steps and took up their positions on either side of the closed door. Fixating his eyes upon the two figures at the other side of the room, Yoochun said a silent prayer, hoping that Yesung would not be as cruel as Siwon.
He got his wish.
Yesung was not equally merciless; he was completely cold-blooded. Yoochun bit the inside of his cheek as Yesung picked up one end of the thick chain and plummeted it towards the unconscious figure on the ground again and again and again, the metal making a repulsive thud came in contact with human flesh. Yoochun desperately prayed that Junsu would not wake up to feel the horrific abuse on him. Then he heard a sickening loud crunch that reverberated around the room; and his jaw slackened in shock and fright, one of his hands coming up to cover his mouth automatically. Yesung had a vicious leer on his face as he relished the fact that one of the bastard’s bones had cracked. Where, he did not know, and he did not care. All he wanted was for this man to die, to pay for thwarting Siwon’s plans.
Unfortunately, Junsu started to stir, in contrary to Yoochun’s prayers.
Junsu felt cold marble underneath him. He squinted, trying to open his eyes, but the full force of an unknown pain that plagued his waking body resulted in a series of coughing that made him curl up into a ball. Something hard knocked the wind out of him continuously, bruising and burning and stinging. But the pain did not stop and his moving around caused the chronic stab in his ribs to intensify, so much that he wished he could have stayed out cold. Tears leaked out of his shut eyes and dripped off the end of his nose as he tried to contain the pain within himself, wishing someone could stop the abuse and rescue him.
Yoochun’s heart broke at the bloodied sight before him. The prestigious second son of the Kim family had now looked nothing different from the victims who had suffered at the hands of Choi Siwon. The flawless, pale skin was covered with bruises and blood oozed from every wound. How could Yesung not see that Kim Junsu was already pathetically fragile enough not to hurt in the first place? Yoochun could only watch helplessly as Junsu coughed out a flowing red fluid, its redness staining the purity of his white dress shirt.
“Oh, look. Our little hero is crying!” Junsu could hear a snide voice comment before the strikes that rained upon his body paused momentarily. But the sudden surge of feeling that ran through his veins was too much and he almost wanted the abuser to continue. Then he heard the rattling of chains and felt his wrists and ankles manacled in an awkward position before a sharp tip pressed itself against his arm.
“Tell me, now. Do you want to live with one arm or die with an intact body?” Yesung uttered, his low voice clear enough for the three men in the room to hear. Junsu shook his head, a pitiful figure in Yoochun’s eyes. His mind was foggy, but various images played in his mind; Jaejoong, his father, his mother, Eunhyuk, Yoochun - Yoochun! Junsu opened his eyes forcefully, causing them to water, but he could clearly see that one of the men standing half-enshrouded by darkness by the door was Yoochun. But then he remembered. Yoochun was one of them now, although he did not know the reason why. He had lost the smiling, laudable friend who had treated him genuinely and gently, so real that it had saddened him at the loss. Junsu cast his eyes away. The mental torture of being betrayed once again was more than enough to go through.
Yoochun saw the emotions in Junsu’s soulful orbs as he met his gaze weakly - hope, acknowledgement, sorrow, resignation, compliance and finally despondency. He tried to speak with his eyes, but Junsu turned away.
“Just let me die.”
* * *
“Die?” Yesung mocked, “You want to die? You think dying is such an easy thing? I won’t let you die. I’ll make you beg me to let you die!” In a half-crazed state, Yesung picked up his pocket knife and slashed, ripping a large gash in Junsu’s arm. A hoarse, weak cry emanated from Junsu’s throat, and he tugged on the metal cuffs with his good arm, writhing, his lips bloodied from biting down on it to keep himself silent.
Instinctively, Yoochun started forward but his wrist was caught in Donghae’s strong grip. He glared at the silent man who did not betray a single shred of emotion as he watched the scene before them. “Not now.” Donghae mouthed, hoping that the younger could lip-read his words.
Junsu quieted down. Only the sound of his erratic breathing could be heard, and Yoochun could see from his face that he wished for nothing better but to cease living right now.
“Kill me. If you hate me that much, just kill me.” Junsu murmured, half-comatose. His mind was numb, oddly detached from his weary physical body that ached so much.
There was a stagnant pause, then -
Yesung burst out into fits of maniacal laughter, the echoes bouncing off the empty walls of the room. He bent down to pinch Junsu’s chin viciously between two fingers. “Don’t worry, boy. I’ll make sure you get your wish, soon enough.” Then he straightened up. “Once Mr Kang-In gives the orders, rest assured that I’ll be sure to grant you a slow and painful death. For now, enjoy the last days of your pathetic life, prince.”
He gave Junsu’s lifeless body one last kick and left the room without sparing a second glance at Yoochun and Donghae.
Donghae let go of Yoochun simultaneously, and the latter fell on his knees before Junsu, whose eyelids had slid shut. A wave of panic seized Yoochun, and he cradled Junsu preciously in his arms, careful not to trigger any further pain.
“Yoochun?” Junsu’s voice was soft, feeble. It was the first time he called Yoochun by his real name, but it felt familiar, the way it rolled off his tongue naturally. He relaxed; there was no need to put up a brave front now, he was safe in Yoochun’s embrace, he could hear the pounding of heart muscle in Yoochun’s chest. Whether or not Yoochun was still his friend, Junsu didn’t care anymore.
“Yes? I’m here, don’t worry, I’m here.” Without him knowing, he tightened his hold on Junsu.
“I feel sleepy … Really sleepy …” Junsu’s words were starting to slur.
“No, no, you cannot sleep, you hear me? Stay awake! Fight to stay awake!” Yoochun nearly choked trying to get the words out of his throat in time.
“Yoochun …”
“I know, it hurts, I know, don’t, don’t leave me now -” Yoochun pressed his lips to the cold forehead once, twice, thrice.
“Yoochun … I’m sorry.” His eyes were closing, it was almost impossible to keep them open any longer.
“Save your apologies for later, I don’t want to hear it now.” Yoochun shook his head in a childish way.
“No, Yoochun, listen to me.” Junsu’s bloodstained hand found its way to Yoochun’s and held it tightly. “I’m sorry … for lying to you about my background. I didn’t want to, but I had to protect you. Even if it was a day, you were my friend.” The hand in Yoochun’s had started to shake slightly. “T-Thank you.” After uttering the last two words with a shuddering gasp, Junsu’s strength was sapped.
Before Yoochun could reply, Junsu’s hand went flaccid and fell to his side.
* * *
Chapter VII
Pairing: Yoosu, Jaesu, Yunjae, Minsu, brief mention of Hyukhae
Rating: PG/PG-13
Genre: Angst, action, drama, romance.
Length: Chaptered
Summary: In this world, there has always been a wide margin between the rich and the poor. Kim Junsu, second son of the rich Kim Corporations and Park Yoochun, a penniless young man with a warm and loving heart who is forced to join an illegal gang, are seemingly on opposite sides of the Earth. However, Fate plays a trick on both men and their paths cross in an unexpected twist of events.
A/N: Originally posted here at winglin. Reposted here at LJ for the benefit of all Yoosu fans :D
Chapter VI: Fallen
Yoochun’s eyes flew wide open as he recognised the beaten up face before his eyes. Sure, it was bruised, bloodied and lifeless, but he could identify him any day. Kim Junsu - Xiah - the man whom he had only met once in his twenty one years of life - the memory could not be wiped out from Yoochun’s mind.
“One Kim is better than none,” Donghae wore a grin as he shoved the now-unconscious Junsu into Yoochun’s arms, who caught the smaller figure securely. “Park, tie him up. Make sure the bastard doesn’t escape or it’ll be your head.” Taking in deep breaths, Yoochun did as he was told with shaking fingers as he secured Junsu’s limbs with rope, trying not to hurt the man with the coarse fibres. “Make it snappy, we’ve only got 40 minutes to haul him to Siwon’s quarters or he’ll throw a temper.” Donghae snapped. Throwing the remains of the rope into the back of the van, Yoochun carried Junsu to the backseat and settled him down there softly.
The van drove off over the wet grass patches, leaving a muddy track but otherwise no sign of the immoral deed that just had been committed a few minutes ago.
* * *
Dead silence.
It was so silent that if someone blinked, another man literally, could hear it.
All the men held their breaths and stared straight ahead in neat rows, trying not to gulp from the unbearable pressure and apprehension that hung heavily overhead in the room. Choi Siwon was sitting at the head of his desk once again, his chin in a hand and his mind buried deep in thought. Yesung stood to the back of him, his cool dark eyes sweeping over the room and finally settling on the sleeping man to the right of Siwon.
“You …” Siwon finally parted his lips to speak.
“Useless bunch of fags.” There was so much intensity in his words that all the men cringed visibly. “Was it really so hard trying to capture just one man? Kim Jaejoong, who knew neither martial arts nor self-defense, could wriggle easily out of your hands just thanks to his equally-ignorant brother?”
A newcomer spoke timidly without thinking, “B-But Mr C-Choi, at l-least we succeeded in k-kidnapping K-Kim J-Junsu …” Siwon did not give him the chance to finish the sentence before leaping out of his seat, livid with anger, and picked him up by the collar, flinging him mercilessly against the wall. Every eye turned to the two men before widening at the sight of the helpless man sliding limply down the whitewashed wall, leaving a long bloody trail of fresh blood that oozed from the wound on his head.
Even Yesung could not mask the surprise on his face, his features twisted into one of shock. He had never seen Siwon openly hurt or show any sign of violence towards their brothers. He knew that if he spoke up now, he would most probably end up having the same fate as the unconscious, wounded man on the ground now.
Siwon seemed to deflate after taking out his anger on one of his men. The glint still noticeable in his eyes, Siwon barked in a sharp tone, “You there. You will be in charge of watching over the prisoner until further orders. Take him to the room on the top floor. ” He pointed at Yoochun. Beckoning to Yesung, the latter leaned in closer and Siwon whispered a few words in his ear before he drew back, his signature smirk upon his face. His anger not quite dissipated, Siwon exited the room, flanked closely by the rest of the men, leaving Yesung, Yoochun and Junsu alone.
Wordlessly, Yoochun walked over to Junsu, carried him up gently in an embrace and followed Yesung up the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, Donghae spotted the way Yoochun treated Junsu and immediately felt suspicious of his behaviour.
* * *
Jaejoong groaned, feeling tendrils of pain overwhelming his torso and red scratches that were visibly seen covered every inch of his skin. Struggling to sit up, he realised he had fallen down the side of a hill. If not for the prickly branches that caught at his expensive suit, Jaejoong realised, he would probably be dead by now. He glanced at the now cracked face of his watch. Thankfully, it was still working. 3.28pm, read the clock’s hands. Three twenty eight … Jaejoong started with a yelp. They were scheduled to sign the deal with the Lees at five, and he was still stranded in the middle of lonely wilderness. Ignoring the pain, Jaejoong leapt up and continued to sprint in the direction which he prayed, was the right one.
The tall grass fluttering in the wind slowly gave way to a bright meadow. There, a clear stream gurgled merrily with an abundant supply of fishes swimming freely within its depths. Jaejoong spotted a man in a bleached straw hat and fishing rod in hand, frozen on his wooden stool beside the stream and concentrating on his line, hard. It didn’t take a genius to see that the figure was literally praying that he would reel in a catch anytime soon. Jaejoong took a few steps towards the figure before hesitating for a moment. He looked like a madman in his attire and he didn’t want to be misunderstood with the wrong intentions.
Too late, he wasn’t given any time to react as the man directed his gaze over at him in a bewildered manner and then opened his mouth to yell, “Hey!” in astonishment. Jaejoong locked gazes with the man and it didn’t take him a second to bolt instinctively. “Hey! Wait! Stop!” The man called after him and began to chase after Jaejoong.
Looking back, Jaejoong cursed audibly before noting that the man, equally well-built (or probably even better built than him, Jaejoong thought) and taller than he was, running after him and shouting, “Wait! Stop!” all the way. But Jaejoong did not stop.
Feeling his energy wearing out by the minutes, he was taken by surprise as suddenly, with an almighty leap, the man tackled him to the ground and sat on him heavily. Jaejoong struggled and aimed a punch at the other’s jaw, but his fist was caught by the other’s hand. “W-Wait … Listen to me …” The other man pulled off his straw hat and breathed heavily. Jaejoong could now see that a young, unlined face with a strong, masculine jaw was exposed to his eyes.
“Are you Kim Jaejoong?”
* * *
“Put him in the corner over there.” Once they entered the barren, cold room, Yesung motioned expressionlessly to the furthest corner where two thick, sleek, metal chains were nailed to the wall. Yoochun shivered, but he did not dare to disobey orders. He laid Junsu’s limp body on the ground, his hands suddenly feeling empty and cold. Donghae was silent but both men felt an ominous mood settle across them.
“Mr Choi has some special orders for our little hero here,” Yesung had a sadistic grin on his face that Yoochun did not quite like. “You two, guard the door. Make sure no one comes in to rescue this fallen hero or you’ll be the next one to experience this special treatment.”
Yoochun and Donghae backtracked a few steps and took up their positions on either side of the closed door. Fixating his eyes upon the two figures at the other side of the room, Yoochun said a silent prayer, hoping that Yesung would not be as cruel as Siwon.
He got his wish.
Yesung was not equally merciless; he was completely cold-blooded. Yoochun bit the inside of his cheek as Yesung picked up one end of the thick chain and plummeted it towards the unconscious figure on the ground again and again and again, the metal making a repulsive thud came in contact with human flesh. Yoochun desperately prayed that Junsu would not wake up to feel the horrific abuse on him. Then he heard a sickening loud crunch that reverberated around the room; and his jaw slackened in shock and fright, one of his hands coming up to cover his mouth automatically. Yesung had a vicious leer on his face as he relished the fact that one of the bastard’s bones had cracked. Where, he did not know, and he did not care. All he wanted was for this man to die, to pay for thwarting Siwon’s plans.
Unfortunately, Junsu started to stir, in contrary to Yoochun’s prayers.
Junsu felt cold marble underneath him. He squinted, trying to open his eyes, but the full force of an unknown pain that plagued his waking body resulted in a series of coughing that made him curl up into a ball. Something hard knocked the wind out of him continuously, bruising and burning and stinging. But the pain did not stop and his moving around caused the chronic stab in his ribs to intensify, so much that he wished he could have stayed out cold. Tears leaked out of his shut eyes and dripped off the end of his nose as he tried to contain the pain within himself, wishing someone could stop the abuse and rescue him.
Yoochun’s heart broke at the bloodied sight before him. The prestigious second son of the Kim family had now looked nothing different from the victims who had suffered at the hands of Choi Siwon. The flawless, pale skin was covered with bruises and blood oozed from every wound. How could Yesung not see that Kim Junsu was already pathetically fragile enough not to hurt in the first place? Yoochun could only watch helplessly as Junsu coughed out a flowing red fluid, its redness staining the purity of his white dress shirt.
“Oh, look. Our little hero is crying!” Junsu could hear a snide voice comment before the strikes that rained upon his body paused momentarily. But the sudden surge of feeling that ran through his veins was too much and he almost wanted the abuser to continue. Then he heard the rattling of chains and felt his wrists and ankles manacled in an awkward position before a sharp tip pressed itself against his arm.
“Tell me, now. Do you want to live with one arm or die with an intact body?” Yesung uttered, his low voice clear enough for the three men in the room to hear. Junsu shook his head, a pitiful figure in Yoochun’s eyes. His mind was foggy, but various images played in his mind; Jaejoong, his father, his mother, Eunhyuk, Yoochun - Yoochun! Junsu opened his eyes forcefully, causing them to water, but he could clearly see that one of the men standing half-enshrouded by darkness by the door was Yoochun. But then he remembered. Yoochun was one of them now, although he did not know the reason why. He had lost the smiling, laudable friend who had treated him genuinely and gently, so real that it had saddened him at the loss. Junsu cast his eyes away. The mental torture of being betrayed once again was more than enough to go through.
Yoochun saw the emotions in Junsu’s soulful orbs as he met his gaze weakly - hope, acknowledgement, sorrow, resignation, compliance and finally despondency. He tried to speak with his eyes, but Junsu turned away.
“Just let me die.”
* * *
“Die?” Yesung mocked, “You want to die? You think dying is such an easy thing? I won’t let you die. I’ll make you beg me to let you die!” In a half-crazed state, Yesung picked up his pocket knife and slashed, ripping a large gash in Junsu’s arm. A hoarse, weak cry emanated from Junsu’s throat, and he tugged on the metal cuffs with his good arm, writhing, his lips bloodied from biting down on it to keep himself silent.
Instinctively, Yoochun started forward but his wrist was caught in Donghae’s strong grip. He glared at the silent man who did not betray a single shred of emotion as he watched the scene before them. “Not now.” Donghae mouthed, hoping that the younger could lip-read his words.
Junsu quieted down. Only the sound of his erratic breathing could be heard, and Yoochun could see from his face that he wished for nothing better but to cease living right now.
“Kill me. If you hate me that much, just kill me.” Junsu murmured, half-comatose. His mind was numb, oddly detached from his weary physical body that ached so much.
There was a stagnant pause, then -
Yesung burst out into fits of maniacal laughter, the echoes bouncing off the empty walls of the room. He bent down to pinch Junsu’s chin viciously between two fingers. “Don’t worry, boy. I’ll make sure you get your wish, soon enough.” Then he straightened up. “Once Mr Kang-In gives the orders, rest assured that I’ll be sure to grant you a slow and painful death. For now, enjoy the last days of your pathetic life, prince.”
He gave Junsu’s lifeless body one last kick and left the room without sparing a second glance at Yoochun and Donghae.
Donghae let go of Yoochun simultaneously, and the latter fell on his knees before Junsu, whose eyelids had slid shut. A wave of panic seized Yoochun, and he cradled Junsu preciously in his arms, careful not to trigger any further pain.
“Yoochun?” Junsu’s voice was soft, feeble. It was the first time he called Yoochun by his real name, but it felt familiar, the way it rolled off his tongue naturally. He relaxed; there was no need to put up a brave front now, he was safe in Yoochun’s embrace, he could hear the pounding of heart muscle in Yoochun’s chest. Whether or not Yoochun was still his friend, Junsu didn’t care anymore.
“Yes? I’m here, don’t worry, I’m here.” Without him knowing, he tightened his hold on Junsu.
“I feel sleepy … Really sleepy …” Junsu’s words were starting to slur.
“No, no, you cannot sleep, you hear me? Stay awake! Fight to stay awake!” Yoochun nearly choked trying to get the words out of his throat in time.
“Yoochun …”
“I know, it hurts, I know, don’t, don’t leave me now -” Yoochun pressed his lips to the cold forehead once, twice, thrice.
“Yoochun … I’m sorry.” His eyes were closing, it was almost impossible to keep them open any longer.
“Save your apologies for later, I don’t want to hear it now.” Yoochun shook his head in a childish way.
“No, Yoochun, listen to me.” Junsu’s bloodstained hand found its way to Yoochun’s and held it tightly. “I’m sorry … for lying to you about my background. I didn’t want to, but I had to protect you. Even if it was a day, you were my friend.” The hand in Yoochun’s had started to shake slightly. “T-Thank you.” After uttering the last two words with a shuddering gasp, Junsu’s strength was sapped.
Before Yoochun could reply, Junsu’s hand went flaccid and fell to his side.
* * *
Chapter VII