Tense (10) Whiplash
- continues from Tense (9) Crossfire -
---
It was over in a heartbeat, or rather a gunshot.
Then a brief moment of silence before it was broken by a questioning tone.
His name, uttered in disbelief.
"Changmin..?"
Fighting against every grain, every fibre of his being.
Hands shaking, he dropped the pistol.
Hojun yelled out and raised his own gun, pointed towards Changmin.
"YOU FUCKER!!!!"
Heechul moved swiftly to his side and pushed his arm down.
Hojun whipped around and glared at Heechul, "What the FUCK?"
"Hojun.. Hojun!" Yunho's voice was hoarse but urgent, pressing.
Hojun threw Heechul another dirty look before dropping to his knees, clutching his friend and boss to his side.
"FUCK, Yunho." His hand came up wet, covered in Yunho's blood. There was no time for formalities.
"Don't. Let Changmin go."
Yunho's eyes bore into his and Hojun growled helplessly.
Then Yunho closed his eyes.
---
I love you.
Changmin murmured restlessly as he tossed around in bed. Vestiges of sleep clutching at him but barely. His eyes bore the marks of pain and lack of rest, darkened with burden and unshed tears.
He sprung awake, footsteps in the corridor outside his room scaring him. He had not been able to let his guard down ever since he was brought here. Ever since that day. Dreading and waiting. Waiting and dreading.
Maybe death would be better.
He closed his eyes and inhaled shakily.
"How far would you go to help Yunho?
I would do anything.
Don't promise things you can't deliver on.
Fuck you, Heechul.
A low chuckle.
Then stick to the plan. And when I say stick to it, you better stay alive until the end."
So he had gone into the room where Yunho and Siwon were sitting, waiting.
Yunho had looked up at him, expressionless, before pushing a clear file towards him.
Flipping through it, Changmin knew that if he had been thinking twice before about anything, about the plan or about starting anew with Yunho, it was all gone now. His past, his pain, his master, his old lover smiled up at him. Every detail of his relationship with Kei-san on paper. In front of him. In front of Yunho. And Siwon.
"Siwon, I need a moment."
There must have been something in Yunho's voice because Siwon had actually listened. He looked carefully at Yunho then nodded, smirking. He got up, grabbed the file and motioned to his men. They moved to the side, not too far off that they could not react in time if anything went wrong. One of the man took out a phone and passed it to Siwon.
Yunho flicked a look at his own men. Hojun waved at them and they, too, moved off to the side, watching. Now Changmin and Yunho were alone. Yunho was still seated and Changmin was standing at his side, hands in fists, pale with dread.
"Changmin..." Yunho began, tone measured.
"Were you ever going to tell me? You and Keisuki Yamagata."
"..Yes. I wanted to tell you on my own time but.."
"But what, Changmin? You and I know how the Kenta-gun works. You couldn't tell me that you were fucking with Keisuki Yamagata of ALL PEOPLE?!" Yunho fought hard to keep his volume down but he was worried. Worried for Changmin. Worried for his family. But most of all, Changmin.
"Yunho.. I.. it was complicated ok? I had no choice..."
The silence hung between them, heavy, throbbing. Time was ticking away. Changmin had to say what he had to say, and fast.
"I was running away. But I don't want to run anymore. I didn't plan on meeting you, or for things to end up like this. I just wanted some time away from the shit in Japan and I thought being here would.. that I could eventually buy my freedom from Keisuki."
Yunho was still silent, staring at the file where the mugshot of Keisuki Yamagata's face grinned mockingly back at him.
Then Changmin walked over to Yunho.
Hojun's hand moved to where his revolver was and popped the safety off. Across the room, Siwon's men turned and watched the movement carefully. Siwon stepped behind his bodyguards, handing the phone back to his assistant.
Changmin moved over to Yunho, who was still staring at Keisuki Yamagata's face.
"I didn't plan on meeting you."
Hojun took a step forward, wanting to be closer to the two.
"I didn't plan on falling in love with you."
Yunho heard the click of a safety and turned his head slowly to meet Changmin's eyes, which were welling up with tears.
"Me neither." answered Yunho.
"You remember what I said on the rooftop?" asked Changmin, hand reaching for his pocket.
Hojun cursed silently under his breath and hastened his footsteps.
Siwon's men also started moving.
"Fuck...what the hell is Shim doing..?" Siwon spat out as he gestured at his men outside to be on stand-by.
"I love you."
Yunho looked down as the shiny black of a pistol was drawn out of Changmin's blazer. His hand was trembling.
"Baby, hold it properly." Yunho said, eyes shining. The endearment stung in Changmin's ears. He grasped the pistol tighter.
"I love you."
"To die by your hands, rather than to have to fight for you. Is this what you have decided once again without talking to me? You speak words of love but betray me again and again with your actions."
"You're wrong, Yunho. It is because I love you that I'm doing this. Remember your promise."
And then he had raised his pistol and shot Yunho.
Siwon's men had reached there just before Hojun and Yunho's men, and grabbed Changmin, running out of the warehouse.
It was over, over in a heartbeat.
----
Siwon had slapped him twice. Once for idiocy because did you fucking want Haeyun Consortium to be implicated in the death of The President, you slut?!! And twice for fucking running back into the arms of Jung? What the fuck does he have that I don't? Don't I fuck you good enough?
But at least Siwon could not touch him otherwise, yet. Now that Keisuki Yamagata was back in the picture. But it would not be for long. Once Haeyun Consortium settled things with the Kenta-gun, Siwon would make damn sure in every way, that Changmin was his. And not just monetary-wise.
Changmin wondered if he could numb himself to his fate in time. While he waited.
Heechul, hurry the fuck up.
----
Hojun slammed his fist into the wall angrily.
Heechul glared up at him, snapping. "Yunho is resting."
"Why did you stop me? I knew Shim was not to be trusted!"
"Lay off. He didn't even aim to kill, it was for show."
True, the bullet had grazed the inner side of Yunho's shoulder, bloody yes, but enough to seriously maim him, no.
"Fuck. What haven't you been telling me, Heechul. Whatever it is, I have a right to know!"
"I will tell you, once you've calmed down. And not here, Yunho might overhear."
"He has a right to know as well."
Heechul stood up so fast, Hojun stepped back. And without warning, he slammed Hojun into the wall.
"No. He cannot know, Hojun. If you want him to be safe, if you want him to be happy which means ensuring Shim Changmin stays alive, he cannot know."
----
As Siwon's men had gotten nearer to Changmin, arm reaching out to grab him, Changmin had dropped the pistol, tears dropping down his cheek.
"Remember, please."
Realising the pain in his shoulder was nowhere near any vital organs, Yunho had struggled to get up, to hold onto Changmin.
But Changmin had stepped back, and Siwon's men had come and got hold of Changmin. As he was being hustled away, Changmin twisted his head to look back at Yunho.
Yunho lay on the floor, head turned towards Changmin.
He whispered.
"Wait for me, Changmin-ah."
---
- continues to Tense (11) Suspense -
---
It was over in a heartbeat, or rather a gunshot.
Then a brief moment of silence before it was broken by a questioning tone.
His name, uttered in disbelief.
"Changmin..?"
Fighting against every grain, every fibre of his being.
Hands shaking, he dropped the pistol.
Hojun yelled out and raised his own gun, pointed towards Changmin.
"YOU FUCKER!!!!"
Heechul moved swiftly to his side and pushed his arm down.
Hojun whipped around and glared at Heechul, "What the FUCK?"
"Hojun.. Hojun!" Yunho's voice was hoarse but urgent, pressing.
Hojun threw Heechul another dirty look before dropping to his knees, clutching his friend and boss to his side.
"FUCK, Yunho." His hand came up wet, covered in Yunho's blood. There was no time for formalities.
"Don't. Let Changmin go."
Yunho's eyes bore into his and Hojun growled helplessly.
Then Yunho closed his eyes.
---
I love you.
Changmin murmured restlessly as he tossed around in bed. Vestiges of sleep clutching at him but barely. His eyes bore the marks of pain and lack of rest, darkened with burden and unshed tears.
He sprung awake, footsteps in the corridor outside his room scaring him. He had not been able to let his guard down ever since he was brought here. Ever since that day. Dreading and waiting. Waiting and dreading.
Maybe death would be better.
He closed his eyes and inhaled shakily.
"How far would you go to help Yunho?
I would do anything.
Don't promise things you can't deliver on.
Fuck you, Heechul.
A low chuckle.
Then stick to the plan. And when I say stick to it, you better stay alive until the end."
So he had gone into the room where Yunho and Siwon were sitting, waiting.
Yunho had looked up at him, expressionless, before pushing a clear file towards him.
Flipping through it, Changmin knew that if he had been thinking twice before about anything, about the plan or about starting anew with Yunho, it was all gone now. His past, his pain, his master, his old lover smiled up at him. Every detail of his relationship with Kei-san on paper. In front of him. In front of Yunho. And Siwon.
"Siwon, I need a moment."
There must have been something in Yunho's voice because Siwon had actually listened. He looked carefully at Yunho then nodded, smirking. He got up, grabbed the file and motioned to his men. They moved to the side, not too far off that they could not react in time if anything went wrong. One of the man took out a phone and passed it to Siwon.
Yunho flicked a look at his own men. Hojun waved at them and they, too, moved off to the side, watching. Now Changmin and Yunho were alone. Yunho was still seated and Changmin was standing at his side, hands in fists, pale with dread.
"Changmin..." Yunho began, tone measured.
"Were you ever going to tell me? You and Keisuki Yamagata."
"..Yes. I wanted to tell you on my own time but.."
"But what, Changmin? You and I know how the Kenta-gun works. You couldn't tell me that you were fucking with Keisuki Yamagata of ALL PEOPLE?!" Yunho fought hard to keep his volume down but he was worried. Worried for Changmin. Worried for his family. But most of all, Changmin.
"Yunho.. I.. it was complicated ok? I had no choice..."
The silence hung between them, heavy, throbbing. Time was ticking away. Changmin had to say what he had to say, and fast.
"I was running away. But I don't want to run anymore. I didn't plan on meeting you, or for things to end up like this. I just wanted some time away from the shit in Japan and I thought being here would.. that I could eventually buy my freedom from Keisuki."
Yunho was still silent, staring at the file where the mugshot of Keisuki Yamagata's face grinned mockingly back at him.
Then Changmin walked over to Yunho.
Hojun's hand moved to where his revolver was and popped the safety off. Across the room, Siwon's men turned and watched the movement carefully. Siwon stepped behind his bodyguards, handing the phone back to his assistant.
Changmin moved over to Yunho, who was still staring at Keisuki Yamagata's face.
"I didn't plan on meeting you."
Hojun took a step forward, wanting to be closer to the two.
"I didn't plan on falling in love with you."
Yunho heard the click of a safety and turned his head slowly to meet Changmin's eyes, which were welling up with tears.
"Me neither." answered Yunho.
"You remember what I said on the rooftop?" asked Changmin, hand reaching for his pocket.
Hojun cursed silently under his breath and hastened his footsteps.
Siwon's men also started moving.
"Fuck...what the hell is Shim doing..?" Siwon spat out as he gestured at his men outside to be on stand-by.
"I love you."
Yunho looked down as the shiny black of a pistol was drawn out of Changmin's blazer. His hand was trembling.
"Baby, hold it properly." Yunho said, eyes shining. The endearment stung in Changmin's ears. He grasped the pistol tighter.
"I love you."
"To die by your hands, rather than to have to fight for you. Is this what you have decided once again without talking to me? You speak words of love but betray me again and again with your actions."
"You're wrong, Yunho. It is because I love you that I'm doing this. Remember your promise."
And then he had raised his pistol and shot Yunho.
Siwon's men had reached there just before Hojun and Yunho's men, and grabbed Changmin, running out of the warehouse.
It was over, over in a heartbeat.
----
Siwon had slapped him twice. Once for idiocy because did you fucking want Haeyun Consortium to be implicated in the death of The President, you slut?!! And twice for fucking running back into the arms of Jung? What the fuck does he have that I don't? Don't I fuck you good enough?
But at least Siwon could not touch him otherwise, yet. Now that Keisuki Yamagata was back in the picture. But it would not be for long. Once Haeyun Consortium settled things with the Kenta-gun, Siwon would make damn sure in every way, that Changmin was his. And not just monetary-wise.
Changmin wondered if he could numb himself to his fate in time. While he waited.
Heechul, hurry the fuck up.
----
Hojun slammed his fist into the wall angrily.
Heechul glared up at him, snapping. "Yunho is resting."
"Why did you stop me? I knew Shim was not to be trusted!"
"Lay off. He didn't even aim to kill, it was for show."
True, the bullet had grazed the inner side of Yunho's shoulder, bloody yes, but enough to seriously maim him, no.
"Fuck. What haven't you been telling me, Heechul. Whatever it is, I have a right to know!"
"I will tell you, once you've calmed down. And not here, Yunho might overhear."
"He has a right to know as well."
Heechul stood up so fast, Hojun stepped back. And without warning, he slammed Hojun into the wall.
"No. He cannot know, Hojun. If you want him to be safe, if you want him to be happy which means ensuring Shim Changmin stays alive, he cannot know."
----
As Siwon's men had gotten nearer to Changmin, arm reaching out to grab him, Changmin had dropped the pistol, tears dropping down his cheek.
"Remember, please."
Realising the pain in his shoulder was nowhere near any vital organs, Yunho had struggled to get up, to hold onto Changmin.
But Changmin had stepped back, and Siwon's men had come and got hold of Changmin. As he was being hustled away, Changmin twisted his head to look back at Yunho.
Yunho lay on the floor, head turned towards Changmin.
He whispered.
"Wait for me, Changmin-ah."
---
- continues to Tense (11) Suspense -