Project 2035 | Chapter 9/10
Project 2035
Author: love_cassiopeia
Summary: Fast forward to the year of 2035. The Korean republican government has fallen prey to the dictatorial regimes of the Jung family. Jung Yunho is to become Korea’s future emperor, introducing a new world to the citizens under his name. Kim Jaejoong is an adroit assassin, plotting to abolish the government by shedding Yunho’s blood. It appeared easy at first for the shrewd assassin to kill the new leader, but will the fickle game of love serve as a worthy obstacle?
Rated: NC-17
Warning(s): NC-17 material, language
Genre: Romance
Pairing(s): YunJae, minor Yoosu
Chapter 9
Although the climate was terribly frigid and bitter, I forced myself to stay out in the pouring rain a while longer, thinking that it would somehow bring my tears to a stop. A part of me condemned myself for allowing your innocent ears to hear the truth, and yet, another told me that it was the right thing to do and that I shouldn’t complain about the misfortunes it brought along. But down to it all, the only word I could find to describe myself now was ‘stupid.’
It was astounding how love alone could make people whither in confusion and commit ungodly crimes. Although I knew you wanted nothing to do with me by now, I couldn’t help but continue my rigorous run in the pouring rain. I ran as fast as I could, hoping that eventually, I would be able to reach you.
The hot tears from my eyes mixed in with the freezing raindrops on my complexion. I tried to hold them back in order to tell myself that yes, at least you’re still alive.
I ran into the nearest corridor-nothing appeared. I continued searching through the rooms, one after another, hoping that within one of these opulent rooms, you would finally appear.
My footsteps brought me to the eastern wing of the palace. I searched through the rooms austerely, trying to find you, and optimistically, knock some common sense back into you.
To my relief, it didn’t take me long to discover where you had gone. Waltzing into a nearby den, I found you, draped in unkempt, wet clothes and-
There was someone else in the room.
Not only was he in the room, but the man brashly pointed a gun toward you, his face showing no mercy as he planned to pull the trigger.
“Junsu!”
My former colleague and rival was distracted, lowering the gun as he turned around to stare at me with-was that amusement?-in his eyes.
“Speak of the devil.” He bantered. “Would you like to join Yunho in his death as well, Jaejoong?”
“W-wait, what?” I questioned in confusion. “Yoochun told me none of this! The last time I checked, this was my mission.” I began to lose my patience instantly.
Junsu let a laugh escape his lips. “Well, you’re not achieving much here, are you?”
I took a second to glance in your direction. There was a lamentable perplexity in your pupils, one which I wished I could efface. You glared back at me in betrayal, hoping I would have a sensible explanation ready for you.
Your voice held fury as you spoke. “So this is your accomplice, am I right?” You asked-as bitterly as you could. “Good for you, Jaejoong. Now your wish has come true. I’m right at your fingertips, ready for you to kill.”
Everything you were suspecting was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! “He has nothing to do with me!” I bellowed across the room.
You scoffed. “Oh really, is that true, Junsu-is that your name?” You questioned with pure delight. “I see, now that the two of you have me where you want me, why don’t you just kill me and get it over with? My good friend Jaejoong here knows how much I despise this horrid lifestyle of mine.”
For a moment there, I actually wanted to kill you (in order to shut you up, of course). “Look, Yunho, stop going on like that! Learn to put some value into your life, will you?” I sighed and directed my attention to Junsu, who stared back at me in exasperation. “How could you even dare to consider coming here to interrupt my mission? Did you put the dangers and consequences into thought?”
“Jaejoong, you blind, blind boy.” He chuckled. “I know everything already. I know you’re terribly in love with him, and at this time, you wouldn’t dare to kill him yourself.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “But that’s no reason to come barging in here, trying to make room for yourself when the killing of the emperor is clearly my job!”
Junsu laughed raucously. “Listen to yourself, Jaejoong! I never thought you’d turn out to be such a hypocrite.” His sentence brought my blood to a boil. “One moment, you’re saying you have nothing to do with me-hoping you would regain Yunho’s love, and another, you’re defending your mission-the one thing that keeps you away from Yunho. Let me ask you, Jaejoong. Who the hell are you?”
“I-I…”
“You yourself don’t even know.” Junsu responded in laughter. “How pitiful. Yoochun will never look twice at anyone who is as pitiful as you.”
As much as his words stung, the pain it carried was nothing compared to the pain your odious glare inflicted upon me. I never considered that you-the one man I treasured above everything else-would be able to furrow your eyebrows so ardently in frustration.
“I understand now.” You spoke after a long silence. “You decided to embroil yourself within this mission because of Yoochun. You wanted to impress him by shedding my blood.”
That was absolutely correct, but I couldn’t find a single nerve in my entire body that wanted to admit it. “Listen Yunho, that was me back then. Yoochun… he never took me as seriously as you did. He…” I trailed off. “He only offered me a home-a purpose in life.”
You chuckled. “So he gave you a purpose life, but he never took you seriously.” You faked a blithe smile. “So I guess like you, Yoochun has a horrible hold of what he wants in life.”
I sighed, finding no words in my vocabulary to retort to your pungent words. There was nothing I could say to rid myself of this guilt. I was a criminal being accused of a crime he did commit. And it felt worse than awful, having two different people condemn me for my actions concurrently.
I would rather be sent to prison instantly than have to endure this trial.
“Yunho, I know you’ll never forgive me for all this, but please, at least give a chance to apologise.” My tired voice tried to call out. “I’ll do whatever I can to keep you alive, I promise.”
There was an ear-splitting laughter in the room, and it didn’t take me long to realise who it was from. On the other region of the room, Junsu stood, raising his gun to align itself with Yunho once again. The deadly sight nearly brought my knees to a buckle.
“Can you?” You responded, seeing what Junsu had done. “He has a perfect opportunity. There’s no one to witness the scene except the three of us.”
I turned to Junsu in irritation. “Junsu, stop! You don’t even know what you’re doing!” I warned. “Did Yoochun even agree to this?”
“He knows nothing of it.” He answered. “But despite whether he knows or not, he will extol me for doing the right thing all along.” He declared. “At least I still have my priorities straight.”
“He does.” You cut in-I wish you hadn’t. “I still can’t believe I was the creator of all this trouble-that I was the person who made you betray your loved ones.”
Your words hurt more than a bullet would’ve. “Yunho, stay out of this! Can’t you see your life is in danger?” I persistently had tears in my eyes now. “Flee! Run! Just find some way to get out of here!”
“No” You replied indifferently. “If I’m still alive, this conflict will continue to rage on.”
How difficult was it to knock some damn sense into you? “Put some value into your life, I’m begging you! At least try to save yourself.”
You put on a smile, one which I thought would never appear after our argument earlier. “I don’t need your sympathy, Jaejoong.” You spurned. “At least I’ll die knowing the truth.”
“This isn’t the truth!”
“Then what is?” You counterattacked. “I’m sure you don’t even have a believable answer in mind.”
I wanted to answer you in complete honesty-to spill my thoughts no matter how farcical I sounded. I wanted you to understand that the animosity I once held towards you in the beginning dissipated long ago. I hung my head. “Just answer one more question for me, Yunho.” I advocated. “Who do you think I am?”
Your expression was cryptic; I could perceive nothing of it. “You’re a tempter, Jaejoong.” You began. “If I were to be more exact, then I would say that you’re a liar, a fraud, and a traitor.”
“But Yunho-”
I was too late. There was no time left for inadequate justifications, no matter how much I yearned for it. Everything would end here with that one single gunshot.
Perhaps Junsu was more suitable for the position of an assassin after all.
“I hope you two are done arguing.” Junsu noted. “‘Cause I’m getting quite bored. Why don’t I just get this over with quickly?” He declared nonchalantly. “Yunho, don’t worry, I’ll make the pain fast.”
This was far too impossible to be happening right before my very eyes. Every consequence created by my imprudent desires came crashing down on me in mere seconds, bringing my whole world to destruction. No matter how much I pleaded, I just couldn’t rewind this movie, travel in time, or ask for forgiveness any longer. My every opportunity to achieve what I wanted was dismissed from the world, now lost in my memories for eternity. And for a moment there, I considered giving up and throwing all those memories away.
But as soon as my eyes scanned across you-across your dark inviting pupils, your tall, lean figure, and last but not least, the knot of melancholy caused by this juncture-I immediately brought the memories we created back to my mind. Although these memories were created spontaneously and carelessly, I would continue to cherish them evermore.
So as Junsu moved his finger and pulled the trigger, I decided to make sure those memories would not waste away like how you intended them to. I asked myself a simple question: was your life more valuable, or was mine?
It was the simplest question I had ever come across.
I didn’t know what actually drove me to it, but my legs capriciously began to move, bringing my body to shield yours as the bullet travelled through space.
The shot would be painless if my thoughts were elsewhere. Mine were unfortunately not.
It actually took me a while before I realised that I had just let that bullet sink into my body.
Was I disappointed? Perhaps a little. Perhaps I was a bit dissatisfied that I had decided to put my life on the line for someone whom I’ve known only for a few mere months. But a smile lit across my face as I realised the truth: I had saved you from your death. This was the least I could do for you.
I could see blood splatter across the marble floor, recognize Junsu’s gasps of bewilderment, and hear your loud shrieks of anxiety.
I felt your arms cradle me as I fell to the floor. I let the pain of the bullet infuse with the comfort of your touch. And for a moment there, the pain didn’t appear to be so potent after all.
The last I saw of you before I closed my eyes was your attractive complexion, soiled with tears.
It had been nearly two months since I had been living alone, caged up in this hell disguised as a royal palace.
That incident months ago… that incident that caused insomnia, guilt, and so much pain that it almost felt as if I myself was hit by a bullet, continued to rage on in my mind. What you did was heroic, but much too foolish of the assassin you once were.
Junsu carried you away that evening and ran into the night, giving up on the desire to kill me. I knew he was afraid that I’d report this incident to the authorities, but like an idiot, I refused to.
Where were you now?
Are you still alive?
If you are, do you still have the heart to love me?
If that bullet did as much damage as it did, would you be dead?
If you were dead, how would I continue to live on?
I was ready to give up waiting on you, but I chose to follow my instincts instead of knowledge and reason. A part of me anticipated the fact that you and I would be able to meet once again someday.
But if that were to happen, how long would I have to wait?
Or, will all my waiting go to waste in the end?
Okay, so before the majority of you start hating me, I want to make my point clear that no, it is not confirmed that Jaejoong’s dead or not. I know you all despise me for what I did in Jaejoong’s Lyric, so I’m just going to give you one clue without ruining too much of the story for you:
He might be dead, he might not be; we’ll just have to see. All I ask is that you don’t chase after me with torches. If you want to, do it after it’s confirmed =D
As usual, please leave some feedback for me!
-Cindy
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Previous chapters: Prologue + Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 |
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