Masterpiece Boy - part V
Part V:a - The Trial.
“Kyungsoo,” the man spoke in a deep, firm voice that was equal parts reassuring and intimidating. “Coil your wings. You’ll hurt yourself if you keep them spread for this long.”
Kyungsoo complied immediately, looking vastly smaller and more exhausted without the white wings on his back. Now that Jongin was taking a good look at him, he looked like a corpse: pale, shriveled, huge black marks under his eyes. Jongin was sure angels were not supposed to look this unhappy. Well, then again, Kyungsoo had gone through a lot of stress in a small frame of time…
“Look, guys. It’s Choi Siwon. CEO of whatever Co. & Inc.,” Heechul smiled sweetly to God - Siwon? - but his eyes were glinting with silent wrath. “What a pleasure to have you here, lame ass incarnation. I was just about to start story time. Wanna join?”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you start anything, Heechul,” Siwon was apparently not fond of jokes. Or was in a bad mood. “What you’re about to do is a great violation against the karmic flow.”
“Oh? Excuse me?” Heechul once again put his hands on his hips, rather outraged. “Last time I checked, I wasn’t a deranged angel getting my human killed-”
“He’s not dead-”
“Shut up!” Heechul yelled, hair bristling as if pulled by static, but Siwon was apparently not impressed. He was, however, holding himself in a clearly defensive pose. Jongin started shaking with fear. “This human is all but dangling from the corner of the death abyss! He’s ham already, and that’s thank to your angel!”
Kyungsoo had coiled himself into a ball by then, hands never letting go from Chanyeol. He was shaking, much more than Jongin. Chanyeol, whose previous anger and distaste toward the angel had clearly dissipated, enveloped him in an awkwardly oversized hug.
“I think,” Siwon said, dusting imaginary dirt off his expensive-looking suit. “We ought to take this to court.”
Heechul raised his brows in surprise, as if he had not been expecting Siwon to suggest such thing. It did, indeed, sound like a strange request. At least to Jongin. Chanyeol also seemed confused, but Baekhyun only looked alarmed.
“Sure. As you wish,” Heechul conceded with a shrug, turning around to walk away from Siwon. He stopped as soon as he reached a safe distance. “However, I must warn you,” he turned around again, swaying playfully on his feet. “I’m not here to defend anyone.”
Siwon’s eyes shot to Baekhyun immediately. The demon tensed, fingers pressing hard against Jongin’s flesh.
“Neither am I,” God said.
Those were pretty bad news. Actually, those were the worst possible news. And Heechul was smiling, cruel, manic. “Let’s play the blame game then.”
Soon enough, a warm wind started to emanate from the grass - and then, two towers of violet fire exploded in front of them.
It was, to put it plainly, a really fucking terrifying sight. Horns had sprouted from Heechul’s vivid red hair, and those horns were twice as long, thrice as sharp as Baekhyun’s. The violet fire raged and cracked like breaking bones, and Jongin just couldn’t stop seeing faces in it, laughing faces, and faces contorted in pain. God and The Devil were reciting a prayer in an ancient language, which Jongin had zero familiarity with, and their eyes were closed. Heechul opened his eyes first, and spoke, his voice echoing to infinity.
“Hell against The Heavens,” he announced, suddenly taller than any mountain. “Hell’s accusation. I accuse the angel Kyungsoo of negligence and karmic disobedience,” Jongin heard a scream. Kyungsoo was being torn off from Chanyeol’s embrace by an invisible force, an invisible force that sent him flying straight into one of the columns of fire. At that sight, Jongin squeezed Baekhyun tighter against himself, overwhelmed by a fiery fear that penetrated his bones like a billion needles
“The Heavens’ accusation,” Siwon spoke, his voice also multiplied. Jongin was shaking, “I accuse the demon Baekhyun,” no, “of high treason.”
That couldn’t be happening.
Jongin tried to hold onto Baekhyun, tried not to let him go, but it was futile. The demon seemed to have accepted his destiny, and made an effort to make Jongin let him go as the invisible force pulled him away with ungodly strength.
“It’s too late, Jongin,” he said before shaking Jongin’s iron grip off his wrist. He looked miserable, like burnt-out charcoal. “It’s too late.”
Miserable and defeated, Jongin let go, and the demon was flinged into the other column of fire.
The fire was extinguished immediately. In the space between God and the Devil, the ground cracked, and soon a huge earthquake started.
It was intense - much more intense than the previous one. Jongin and Chanyeol instinctively reached for each other, panicked, perplexed, as the crack on the land grew wider and a huge, dark rock emerged from it with a great rumble. It was only when the rock stopped moving, apparently settled in place, and the crack closed itself suddenly like a door, that Jongin noticed the rock was actually a polished sculpture. A table. And, atop this table, sat a man in a long tunic, holding a small hammer.
The man was small, face smooth and symmetric, and had a feminine charm to him. His facial expression, however, was the dictionary definition of boredom. When he spoke, his voice was apathetic. “You’re at it again.”
“Good evening, your honor,” Heechul greeted with some mockery in his voice. “It’s nice to meet you in this incarnation at last.”
“You’ve met me already. I’m Lee Sungmin from this guy’s IT team,” the man - the judge - Sungmin - signalized Siwon with his head. “Let’s get on with this. So, the two of you are accusing different people of different crimes that revolve around the same situation,” the judge leaned over the table to scribble something on a book Jongin could only partially see. The pen he used was a common ball pen, which popped out in the bizarre scenery like headlights. “Tricky. What do you seek with this trial?”
“The right to punish the right culprit,” Siwon said, and a chill went up Jongin’s spine. Heechul seemed satisfied with that.
Sungmin scribbled some more. “May the defendants be brought forth.”
The air popped with another round of quick lightning; it summoned a tall wooden pole in front of table. Chained with their backs against the pole were Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, looking grieved and uncomfortable.
“Kyungsoo…” Jongin heard Chanyeol whimper, heartbroken. The angel’s head pended in defeat.
“The wandering soul’s status will be held unchanging until the end of the trial,” Sungmin announced, earning a groan from both parties. He was unfazed. “The outcome of the trial will decide whether it will be restored or descend into hell. The defendants are only allowed to speak when requested by the forces in battle.” Jongin thought that the judge would give Baekhyun and Kyungsoo a chance to either plead innocence or confess, but he didn’t. “Let’s start, then. Hell, elaborate your charges.”
“Sure thing, you honor,” Heechul skipped his way towards the pole. Everything looked simultaneously normal-sized and seven-feet-tall, and the optic illusion plus the anxiety were making Jongin horribly queasy.
“I accuse the guardian angel Kyungsoo of negligence,” Heechul said, walking around the pole so to face Kyungsoo. The angel had his head low, but Heechul grabbed his chin and forced him to look up, into the Devil’s eyes. “After all, guardian angels have one job. One single job: to protect their human,” he let go of Kyungsoo’s chin, making his head fall heavily. Kyungsoo apparently lacked energy to keep his gaze up. “And he failed horribly at that. A serious violation of the rules of Destiny. Not really unseen before, but serious nonetheless.”
Siwon was shifting on his feet, obviously eager to have his turn. Jongin couldn’t bear watching it, but couldn’t tear his eyes off the scene.
“But that’s not all,” Heechul remarked, gleaming with sadistic pleasure. “This little angel here,” he pointed at Kyungsoo. “Did some truly demonic things. Oh, he did,” Kyungsoo flinched at the accusation, shutting his eyes closed. “Manipulating humans,” blow one. “Shifting away from responsibility,” blow two. “Breaking several celestial laws, so many that it’d be enough to send him off the map alone,” blow three. “And, above them all,” Heechul raised a finger, apparently ready to finish his accusations. “Doing all of this under an egoistic motivation: saving himself.”
Jongin felt Chanyeol’s barely corporeal fingers dig into his shoulder. He felt sick. If he had anything in his stomach, he’d have thrown up by then. Meanwhile, Sungmin was merely nodding, scribbling on his book, completely detached from the tragedy unfolding in front of him. He looked up, glance on Siwon. “The Heavens may go on by announcing their charges.”
God got on his feet, swinging his arms contently while walking in a straight line toward Baekhyun. “I shan’t accuse you directly, Baekhyun. I will interrogate you. You’ll have a chance to make yourself seem innocent. How’s that?”
“Very merciful,” Baekhyun said weakly, voice raspy and exhausted, but lips curled in his usual insolent smile. Jongin wanted to cry.
“Indeed. So I shall start,” Siwon paced back and forth in front of Baekhyun, like a predator carefully observing his prey. “Announce who you are for the records to be kept.”
Baekhyun didn’t answer immediately; almost as if he was pondering whether the question was a trap. After a fleeting moment of silence, however, he complied. “I’m called Baekhyun and I’m a fire demon,” he said. “I’m a specialist in house fires and electric accidents.”
Siwon nodded, deeming the answer satisfying. His pace slowed down, and his eyes glinted, as if he was choosing his words very, very carefully. “So, fire demon,” he started, enouncing the title a bit mockingly. “Tell me: who is Kim Jongin?”
Jongin went pale immediately.
Baekhyun seemed to be in a similar state of shock, even if the color of his complexion didn’t change. He was facing God with wide, matte eyes, and his jaw hung slack. The demon, once so insolent and full of bravado, was at a complete, panicked loss of words. And it had to do with Jongin. Why? Why?
“Answer me, Baekhyun,” Siwon stepped closer, as menacing in his fancy suit as Heechul was with his red hair and horns. “Who is Kim Jongin?”
Baekhyun closed his mouth, pressed his lips together. Took a sharp intake of breath.
Then spoke. “Kim Jongin is the human I’m assigned to.”
Siwon raised an eyebrow. “Which means…?” He urged on.
“Which means,” Baekhyun let himself be lead, eyes planted on the floor. “That it’s my mission to kill him.”
It was as if someone had pulled the world from under Jongin’s feet.
What.
“Correct,” Siwon nodded, apparently content. “But that’s not all about him, is it?”
What else could there possibly be? What else could possibly be bigger than that revelation? Baekhyun was supposed to kill him. Holy hell, Baekhyun was supposed to kill him.
Baekhyun gulped, closing his eyes. He was obviously trying to avoid Jongin’s eyes, trying to forget Jongin’s presence. “No, it isn’t,” he said.
“What else is there about him, Baekhyun?” Siwon pushed him forward, hungry for the answer that seemed to be the key to his charges against the demon.
Baekhyun sighed in defeat. He shot a quick, pained look toward Jongin - one that said, I’m sorry. Jongin couldn’t answer. Jongin couldn’t move, nor he could think properly, and did nothing but gape as Baekhyun looked away to face Siwon.
“Kim Jongin,” he said, voice weak and trembling, “is the human known as the Masterpiece Boy.”
Part v:b - Masterpiece Boy.
Fucking sacred mother of all sinners what.
Chanyeol gasped. Kyungsoo gasped. Sungmin raised his brows. Jongin ceased to breath altogether, possibly for all eternity.
Heechul merely rolled his eyes, as if to say, oh, really.
How could that possibly be true?
And yet, Siwon was grinning. He had his key in hands. “Precisely,” he said. “That’s precisely what he is.” To Jongin’s mortification, Siwon turned around to face him full-on, gaze intense and accusatory. “Kim Jongin. A human who was supposed to have died several years ago.” Reality simply would not stop slapping Jongin on the face, it seemed. “So, it looks like Kyungsoo isn’t the only one who failed his mission here.”
“Uh, objection. Not the point of this trial,” Heechul interfered half-assedly, impatient. “I’d be happy to have another trial entirely dedicated to the scheme. Right now, though, you charged this imp,” Heechul signalized Baekhyun with a nod of his head, “with high treason. Explain yourself. I’m curious.”
“Sustained,” Sungmin said absent-mindedly, scribbling something. Siwon relented.
“Very well. I shall explain myself,” God said, going back to pacing back and forth in front of the stake. “As most non-humans know, the Masterpiece Boy scheme is a famous case of incompetence. Supposedly,” he adds, grinning slyly. “What most people know is that it’s all about a demon - our Baekhyun here - who repeatedly failed to kill his assigned human over the years. And every time he was asked about it, he would say the same thing,” Siwon tilted his head to the side. “I’m working on it. Death is a form of art, you know.” He went back to his normal posture. “Hence the nickname.”
Jongin felt bile rise up to his mouth. Masterpiece Boy. The most majestic murder of all. That was supposed to be him.
“The reason why I’m charging Baekhyun with high treason is obvious,” to Siwon, at least, it seemed to be. “It’s because Baekhyun’s failure in killing Kim Jongin did not derive from something as simple as incompetence, or even excessive perfectionism.” Siwon’s eyes glinted. “It derived from criminal intent.”
Sungmin raised his brows once again, and this time Heechul mimicked the gesture. Siwon shook his head at the entities’ disbelief, and turned to Baekhyun. “Am I lying?” he asked the demon, leaning forward. “What do you say, Baekhyun? Were you delaying Kim Jongin’s death on purpose?”
Baekhyun raised his eyes to face him. “Yes, I was.”
“But tell me. Tell us,” God signalized the other living beings in the clearing. “Why?”
For a moment, it seemed like Baekhyun would drop his gaze again. However, he did not. Firm and unwavering, he gave his answer.
“Because I fell in love with him.”
The cherry on the top of a huge, monstrous ice cream cake of shock.
“No further questions,” Siwon said, and Heechul’s eyes shone with ire. The Devil was smiling, but it wasn’t a good smile. It was a furious, venomous, you-won’t-even-see-what-hit-you-when-I-get-my-hands-on-you smile. Jongin started to cry, muffling his sobs on his hand as he tried to watch the trial through a mist of tears.
Heechul got up. “As happy as I am for finally having this traitor unmasked before me,” he grabbed a handful of Baekhyun’s hair and pulled, making the demon scream in pain. “I would just like to remind you that the matter in hands is not the Masterpiece Boy scheme, but the premature death of Park Chanyeol.”
“Well, Park Chanyeol’s death is directly related to the Masterpiece Boy scheme,” Siwon pointed out, unfazed. “If anything, I dare to say his death can be entirely blamed on it.” But Heechul was having none of it.
“I do know his death is related to the scheme, mind you, but that’s where you make your mistake,” Heechul retorted, entirely confident. “But well, before I start explaining why you’re wrong,” Heechul turned to look at Jongin and Chanyeol - and only then did Jongin notice that Chanyeol had been patting his back in an attempt to comfort him. “I think our favorite wandering soul deserves to know his own history.”
A thunderbolt hit Jongin and Chanyeol square. Jongin screamed, expecting his body to be carbonized like toasted bread, but he barely even felt any pain. What did happen, however, was that Chanyeol was suddenly no longer sitting beside him, one long arm around his shoulders; the wandering soul was now sitting at the very top of the vertiginously tall pole Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were chained to.
“Park Chanyeol,” the name rolled from The Devil’s tongue. Chanyeol was obviously scared. “What do you know about yourself?”
It took Chanyeol a while to realize that was a legitimate question. He squirmed a bit, flashing a terrified glance down and promptly looking back up. “My name is Park Chanyeol, and I was an arsonist.”
Heechul nodded. “Correct,” Sungmin scribbled furiously. “What else?”
“I… um, I think I was part of a gang? I don’t really remember this,” he was quick to add. “I just supposed. And. And, that’s all, I think.”
Heechul nodded. “You worked for loan sharks. Burned the debtors’ houses down,” it was said casually, but the impact on Chanyeol was great. At first, his expression was blank; as soon as it sunk, however, his whole face contorted. First in confusion, then in disgust. “Not that you liked your job, but it was the only way to pay your own debt. Besides, you’ve always had a secret affinity for fire.”
Chanyeol looked like he was about to throw up. Jongin momentarily wondered if ghosts could throw up. He then felt like a colossal idiot for thinking about that right in the middle of such a serious situation. Chanyeol, long limbs and dumb smile Chanyeol, killed people for a living. He himself didn’t seem to believe it.
“Here’s what the humans know about your death,” said Heechul. “You got caught in one of your own fires. Trapped in the house you were supposed to burn down. Pretty tragic,” he added the last part like a joke.
“And here’s what the heavens think they know about your death: your fire was sabotaged by a rogue fire demon.”
Jongin held his breath. Chanyeol widened his eyes. Baekhyun shook his head - whether it was in denial or regret, no one could tell.
“That’s not true.”
To everyone’s surprise, it was Kyungsoo who said that, voice feeble and emotionless. Kyungsoo himself looked as feeble and emotionless as his voice; his eyes were glassy and his expression blank, neutral. His limbs were loose. He looked terrible.
Heechul smiled. “It isn’t, indeed. Good to know that you’re ready to admit it,” he said, and the angel said nothing in response. “According to the official records, Baekhyun killed you, Chanyeol,” Chanyeol jumped, not expecting to be addressed again, “in Kim Jongin’s place. Destiny was leading Kim Jongin straight to the street where the house was located. Lost while driving, as usual. He would drive past the house right as it went, BOOM!” Sudden flames burst from the floor, licking the wooden pole with a sickening noise. They lasted no longer than a second, but it was enough for Jongin to actually throw up from fear. Heechul’s grin was vicious.
“However, the house exploded several minutes before it was supposed to. Everyone blamed it on the traitor, of course,” Baekhyun wasn’t listening. Jongin had the impression that the demon had been looking at him, but, when he turned around to look, still coughing and sputtering, Baekhyun’s eyes were focused on the floor. “No one thought of blaming it on your own guardian angel.”
Jongin felt a new surge of bile rise to his throat as Chanyeol’s expression turned blank. Just as blank as Kyungsoo’s. Kyungsoo closed his eyes, a tear rolling down his cheek.
“Are you ready to hear the truth?”
Part v:c - what really happened to park chanyeol?
Chanyeol didn’t look ready. Jongin was most definitely not ready. However, that was not about him: that was about Chanyeol. And he nodded, so Heechul would definitely go on.
Heechul smiled. “How did you meet your angel, Chanyeol?”
Chanyeol frowned. “He… I…” he shut his eyes closed, forcing his memory to cooperate. “I… I remember being on the top of a building… but I don’t remember how I got there…” He shook his head, giving up. “But he was there. That’s how we met.”
Heechul nodded, turning to Kyungsoo with a malicious smile. “How do you remember it, angel?”
“I chased after his soul as it started to descend,” Kyungsoo answered immediately. He didn’t look like himself anymore. All hesitation and fear were gone, leaving only exhaustion. He had given up. “It was still burning. I took it to a safe place, and waited until it regained conscience.”
“That means you imposed the wandering status on a dead man’s soul,” said The Devil.
“That’s right,” the angel answered.
Heechul nodded, increasingly pleased with Kyungsoo’s will to cooperate. “Souls descend into hell quite quick, don’t they? Barely a blink of eyes, ” he asked, feigning innocence. “You must’ve flown pretty fast to catch him before it was too late. Am I right?”
“I was close-by,” Kyungsoo answered promptly.
Jongin wished Kyungsoo wouldn’t answer Heechul’s questions so fast. It would make it easier for The Devil to catch him in the trap he had doubtlessly set up.
“You were close-by?” Heechul frowned, still feigning innocence. “Wait a second then,” he turned to Sungmin. “If he was close-by when his protégé got caught in a deadly arson,” and turned back to Kyungsoo, “why didn’t he, as a guardian angel, immediately rescue Park Chanyeol?” Kyungsoo closed his eyes in pain, and regret. Two teardrops fell from his eyelashes. He was biting his lip, hard, as to stop any more tears to come. “Why, angel? Answer me.”
Kyungsoo swallowed, opening his eyes. His face slowly morphed into the previous expression of neutrality, but his voice was shaking when he spoke up.
“Because it was me who caused the premature explosion,” he said.
Heechul’s grin stretched to infinity. Siwon frowned in what could have been disgust or condescendence, lowering his head onto his hands.
At the top of the pole, Chanyeol sat in shock. His gaze was empty, unfocused, and his posture was slack. A glimmer in his eyelids, and then tears were falling, silently, profusely.
And even Baekhyun, who Jongin had supposed knew everything, seemed surprised. Not shocked, though; only surprised, and alarmed.
“Let me just confirm this,” Heechul said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “Are you saying that you killed your own protégé? On purpose?”
“Yes,” Kyungsoo’s voice quivered.
The Devil raised his brows. “What a shock it must be for people who didn’t know that, huh?” he glanced pointedly at Baekhyun, then at Chanyeol, who was still crying but unmoving. “Very well, Kyungsoo. Now explain why you did that.”
“I wanted to force Chanyeol into reincarnation,” Kyungsoo said, no longer able to stop the tears, even if his face was still emotionless. “Wipe his factors clean. I thought I could do this if I kept him clueless while wandering. If he never remembered anything, I could lead him into reincarnating.”
Comprehension started to dawn upon Baekhyun, as well as an apparent sense of dread. Jongin wished it all would stop already.
“It was a naïve plan,” Kyungsoo admitted, full of grief. “He was too close to death the whole time. I panicked, and started seeking a way to restore him.”
“And what did you do about the fire?” asked Heechul.
“I blamed it on Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo answered, and Baekhyun recoiled. “I bribed him by saying-”
“That’s not true,” Baekhyun interrupted.
“Shush, you vermin. You’re only allowed to speak if I request you to.” Heechul eyed him with fury, and Baekhyun shut up. “Continue, Kyungsoo.”
“I bribed Baekhyun by saying that no one would believe that he was innocent. The circumstances were too suspicious,” Kyungsoo carried on. “He promised to help me with Chanyeol if I promised not to accuse him-”
“That’s NOT true!” Baekhyun shouted, squirming against the chains.
“SHUT IT,” Heechul roared at him, but, surprisingly, Sungmin held up a hand to signalize for Heechul to wait.
“What is not true, demon?” Sungmin asked, apparently curious.
“Kyungsoo didn’t bribe me,” Baekhyun said firmly. “I took the blame upon myself. I knew that-”
“Baekhyun, don’t,” Kyungsoo interrupted. “I forced you to-”
“-you didn’t force me anything-”
“-I left you with no choice-”
“SILENCE!”
At the slam of the hammer, lightning fell all around them, and the sound of thunder was deafening. Jongin covered his ears and screamed.
Silence was made. Sungmin put the hammer down, sighing. “Demon Baekhyun,” he said. “Explain why you took the blame for the angel’s act of disobedience upon yourself.”
Baekhyun hesitated for a moment, but, soon enough, he spoke. “Because I felt compassion for him,” Baekhyun explained. “He had taken an extreme measure to save his protégé. We were both doomed, but I have a ledger far dirtier than his, so I figured that it wouldn’t make a difference for me to take the blame.”
Heechul huffed. “Save his protégé? By letting him burn to death?”
“I’m forced to agree with Heechul on this,” said Siwon, frowning, arms crossed. “Even if Chanyeol was restored, his body is seriously damaged. He might never recover.”
Baekhyun pressed his lips in a tight line. “I believe in Kyungsoo,” he said, voice firm. “He was just trying to spare Chanyeol from the pain. His life was pretty horrible, from what I’ve heard, and being a murderer is no bed of roses,” he shrugged. “For a human, at least. Killing their own kin eats them from inside.”
The three mythical entities eyed him with curiosity. It seemed like Baekhyun had shown them a new point of view. Kyungsoo had his eyes closed, expression contracted in pain as tears fell from his eyes. But, most of all, Siwon looked extremely pleased by that upturn.
“It seems like Kyungsoo’s motivations weren’t all that egoistic,” Siwon said to Heechul, smiling.
“You can’t really be willing to save an angel that killed its own human,” Heechul threw his hands in the hair, frustrated. “Aren’t you people from heaven supposed to protect life? Isn’t that kind of what you do?”
“Heechul is right,” Sungmin pointed at Heechul with his pen, and The Devil put his hands on his hips as to say, see?. Sungmin put the pen down and rubbed his temples. “This is a complicated situation. I’ll be honest with you and say I don’t know what to do. From the violations alone, these two,” he gestured towards Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. “Should be off the map in no time, but I’m convinced that they had valid goals.”
“Oh please,” Heechul rolled his eyes.
“What shall be done, then?” Siwon frowned, tapping a finger on his chin. “They ought not to walk away without punishment. Mistakes have been made. There’s a price to be paid.”
And that’s when it happened.
A surge of maniac energy took over Jongin’s body. There was a thing he needed to do. There was a thing no one but him could do. He got on his feet, wiping the snot running down his nose with his sleeve.
“I know what to do!” He shouted, but it was barely heard over the wind and distant wind. Taking a humongously deep breath, he tried again. “I KNOW WHAT TO DO!!”
It sounded loud enough to shatter mountains. All head turned towards him; Sungmin looked at him with some surprise, as if he had forgotten the human had been there the whole time. God and The Devil seemed curious. Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol seemed terrified. But nothing could make Jongin’s resolve falter, at least in that moment. Deep down, he was scared, but he knew that he had to do what he had to do.
Because there was a price to be paid, and there was no one who could pay but him.
“I… I think Baekhyun sshi and Kyungsoo sshi should be forgiven!” He wished he had at least thought some cool lines out. Well, it was too late. “Or-or at least not be destroyed! You know, have their souls crushed! I think… they shouldn’t be eliminated!”
“We understand what you mean,” Sungmin kindly reassured him, and Jongin flushed from the embarrassment. “But they can’t leave scot-free, you know. They’ve committed serious crimes.”
“I know,” Jongin nodded. “But-but I have a suggestion!”
And he breathed in deep, hands sweating, and let it out:
“In exchange for your pardon,” he said. “I’m offering my soul for you to take right now!”
part I | part II | part III | part IV | part V | part VI