Chapter 17: The Mourning

Narrator POV

*BANG! *

Blood just flooded the room as everyone heard the bang. It was silent as the bang still echoed throughout the corners of the room. The blood dowsed the room in its disgusting, sour aroma and through the bloody air; you could just taste the metallic taste of the freshly drawn blood. HyeRim fell to her knees as she covered her mouth in shock. She saw the body drop to the floor as if a puppeteer had dropped their puppet to the ground. HyeRim felt her heart wrench as she saw the body drop to the floor. Sadness poured out of her heart like it was a dam that had been destroyed from an unknown accident. Everything went in slow motion as HyeRim saw the body slowly dropping to the floor. Finally, HyeRim said in a quiet tone,

“Y-YoungJoo…..”

HyeRim saw YoungJoo’s chest jerk as she heard the bang. Within seconds, HyeRim saw her young brother’s chest dowsed in blood. YoungJoo fell to his knees as tears appeared at both of the small corners of his eyes. His mouth gaped open as he felt the bullet pierce his heart. His mouth moved as he tried to speak to HyeRim one last time,“N-Noo-n-na….”

At that, YoungJoo collapsed to the ground.“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

A high-pitched scream echoed throughout the building.“You Ass Hole!”

Chanyeol shouted as he made began to throw a barrage of punches towards YoungMin, who held the smoky gun at his hand that pointed in the direction of YoungJoo. YoungMin was frozen as he saw that he had pulled the trigger on his innocent nephew. His eyes widened as if he was shocked that he had murdered his own nephew. He was so shocked; he couldn’t even feel the punches Chanyeol threw at him. Kai, however, was shocked as well and screamed,“YoungMin! You fucking bastard!”

Kai’s eyes began to clear as he had realized what had just happened. Kai began to make his way towards Chanyeol and YoungMin.“YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU WOULDN’T HARM THEM! YOU BASTARD! YOU BASTARD!”

Kai screamed at the top of his lungs as he began to kick the man in the guts as he fell to the ground. Tears fell from Kai’s eyes as he screamed. YoungMin snapped out of his shocked state and began to feel the many barrages of attacks from Chanyeol and Kai. HyeRim, on the other note, did not realize what they were doing. She was too focused on YoungJoo. Shakily crawling towards her brother’s lifeless body, HyeRim shakily, but quietly said,“Y-YoungJoo….. W-Why are you laying there like that?..... Yah… Y-Young-Joo…. I-If you don’t get up….. You’ll dirty your clothes like that…. Young-J-Joo…”

She winced as she tried to shake his body. Tears flowed from the corners of HyeRim’s eyes to the bottom of her chin. HyeRim couldn’t hear the painful screams of her beaten up uncle, because all she could hear was her soft voice trying to wake up her only brother that was now dead. HyeRim moved YoungJoo’s body onto her lap and hugged his bloody body into her chest. She quietly cried as she hugged YoungJoo’s lifeless body. HyeRim constantly kept on asking under the breaths of her voice,“Y-YoungJoo-yah….. P-Please….. Open your eyes…. Y-YoungJoo…”

Rocking back and forth as she held onto his dead, bloody body. After Kai and Chanyeol had finished releasing their hatred for YoungMin, they looked over to HyeRim and YoungJoo as YoungMin had lost conscious. Kai’s and Chanyeol’s eyes welled up in tears as they saw HyeRim rocking back and forth holding YoungJoo as if he were a baby. HyeRim nuzzled her head into YoungJoo’s chest and began to cry loudly as she no longer heard the sweet heartbeat of her sweet, younger brother. Looking to the ground, Kai and Chanyeol rubbed their tears as they reminisced the past when they were with YoungJoo. Suddenly, policemen began to fill the room. They had their guns pointed at Kai, Chanyeol and HyeRim, but HyeRim didn’t care. The only thing she cared for at that moment was YoungJoo and YoungJoo only. The policemen could tell what had happened as they saw unconscious YoungMin on the floor with a gun at his hand and dead YoungJoo in HyeRim’s shaky arms. As the policemen filled the room, they took Chanyeol and Kai into custody to question them of what had happened in the office. YoungMin, however, was taken to the hospital until he was conscious enough to answer the questions from the police. YoungJoo was taken to the hospital, but the doctors were sadly, not able to bring YoungJoo back.

48 days later….

“H-HyeRim?”

Kai asked quietly as he entered HyeRim’s room at Kai’s house. HyeRim was sitting on her bed, sniffling as she still mourned for YoungJoo. The room was dark and sunlight was blocked from the blinds on the windows. Her room was a complete mess as some days she would rampage and needed something to let all of her anger and sadness flow out.

“HyeRim…. You have to move on….. It’s what YoungJoo would’ve wanted…. It’s the 49th day now…. You have to move on… HyeRim…. Think of the bright side of things….”

Kai said as he tried to persuade HyeRim out of her room. Even though, there was little light in the room, Kai could see HyeRim nod her head. Even though it had been years that HyeRim had been dying to see Kai, she was blinded by the death of her brother. Kai was hurt seeing her in so much pain. Those painful, torture-filled years, Kai had endured them for 11 years just for HyeRim and YoungJoo, but it had almost all gone to waste because of YoungJoo’s painful death. Even though Kai cared for YoungJoo deeply, he thought of the bright side. Kai was at least happy that he was able to endure those 11 years for HyeRim to be alive with him. He was still sad that he wasn’t able to protect YoungJoo, but he was so grateful and happy that HyeRim didn’t die with YoungJoo. It was as if Kai was happy that YoungJoo died and HyeRim didn’t.

HyeRim POV

For the past 48 days of mourning, I sat in my lonely, dark room. Some days, I would curse at the world, my uncle, and some days, I would just throw a fit in my room and completely destroy some of the furniture. I would barely eat and drink, as I would always sit on my bed and mourn for YoungJoo. I often cried in my sleep and sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night wondering if this whole thing had been a dream, but sadly I knew that it wasn’t. I thought and thought about YoungJoo until,*creak *

The door opened and I saw a ray of light suddenly hit my eyes. I squinted my eyes closed because I had been away from the light ever since YoungJoo had died in my arms. As I slightly opened my eyes, I saw Kai.

“H-HyeRim?”

He asked quietly, wondering if I was asleep or not. He saw that I was awake and continued. I sniffled as I remembered that time when YoungJoo was little and wanted to play with Kai every time Kai and I came over to YoungMin’s house.

“HyeRim… I know it’s hard to move on, but you have to know that YoungJoo is in a better place now. He’s in a place where he could have fun all day long and watch you from the skys…... You have to move on… HyeRim.. It’s what YoungJoo would’ve wanted…. It’s the 49th day now…. You have to move on… HyeRim…. Think of the bright side of things….”

Kai said as he tried to reach out to me. I knew that I had to think like him, but I just couldn’t. I tried and tried to protect my only family, but I failed. I failed to protect my one and only family. I’m a failure…. I tried to nod at Kai to reassure him that I would be okay, but really I’m not. I’m not ready to move on just yet….. Maybe if I……

50 minutes later…

Kai POV

I left the house right after I talked to HyeRim, and 50 minutes later come back with food. I heard the shower go off upstairs and wondered if it was HyeRim. I walked upstairs and saw HyeRim getting dressed. She was only in her bra and panties and I could tell that every meal that I gave her, she wouldn’t eat it as I saw her skinny, thin body. It looked skinnier than mine when I was in the hands of YoungMin. I watched her get dressed and when she turned, she saw me.

“Kai….. Do you think you could bring me to a few places?”

She asked me. This was the first time she had actually ever spoken to me after all of these years. I smiled to her and grabbed her hand with both of my hands.

“Gladly…..”

I said to her. She smiled at me. Not her fake smile, but her first sincere smile after almost a month and a half. Even though she looked different from 11 years ago, she still looked like the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid my eyes on, just like the time we first saw each other in YoungMin’s office.

Narrator POV

HyeRim led Kai to a flower shop and picked out a few flowers. She also led him to a bubble teashop and lastly a toyshop. Kai was a bit confused, but realized at the very end where and what she was doing.

“So, where’s the next destination?”

Kai asked her.

“To YoungJoo…..”

She said as she tried to smile. Kai smiled and nodded,

“As you wish..”

Kai and HyeRim arrived at a cemetery and slowly walked towards a tombstone beneath an old oak tree. The sun was slowly setting as they arrived at the tombstone. As they arrived at the tombstone, HyeRim slowly and neatly set 2 white roses into a small vase. She organized tiny digimon toys that she bought at the toy store on the tombstone right next to the flowers and right next to the toys; she laid YoungJoo’s favorite bubble tea, lychee bubble tea. As she finished preparing and organizing the items, she sat down on her knees in front of the grave. Kai handed her a stick of burning incense. Kai had one as well and kneeled next to HyeRim. They both just sat and prayed for a while as they held the incense. Looking up, HyeRim slowly put the incense in the incense pot in front of the grave. Kai put in his incense stick right after she had set hers inside the pot. Kai and HyeRim just sat in front of the grave for a few minutes and the sun continued to set.

“Thank you…”

HyeRim said.

“Ne?”

Kai asked as if he didn’t hear her.

“Thank you Kai…… Thank you for everything. Thank you for trying to protect YoungJoo and I. Thank you for standing up against YoungMin and taking care of us and just…. Thank you for being there for me even after YoungJoo died.”

HyeRim said sparkly-eyed as she looked at Kai. Kai looked at her in the face and chuckled. HyeRim gave him a confused look and he replied,

“Isn’t that what someone that loves you do? They do whatever they can to protect someone they love and the person they love from getting hurt. They take care of them and they do whatever they can to protect them from whatever they can….”

Kai said. HyeRim was slightly shocked and a bit confused, but she gave Kai a smile.

“M-Mwoh?”

She asked.

“Did you forget already? Remember when you, Chanyeol, and YoungJoo left YoungMin’s house.”

Kai asked. HyeRim cocked her head as if she didn’t remember and Kai pouted.

“Remember? Before I pushed you into the car?”

He asked. At last, HyeRim finally remembered and blushed brightly.

“See! You do remember!”

Kai laughed as he pointed at her tomato colored face.

“But really though…. I really did mean it…. HyeRim….. I love you…. I love you more than you’ll ever know….”

Kai said with sincere eyes. HyeRim was shocked, but she was happy that she was able to have Kai by her side.

The Car Ride Home….

 

“Kai…. I’ve been meaning to ask you this, but what happened those past 11 years?”

HyeRim asked.

“Well….. I was taken to an old warehouse and was almost beaten to death. I was given less than an apple to eat for breakfast and dinner. I was also interrogated about your whereabouts, but I never gave in….. You know… The whole time I was there… I thought of you…. Your smile…. Your laugh…. Your kindness…. Everything…. It helped me forget that I was in that godforsaken place.”

Kai confessed. HyeRim didn’t know how to respond, but she smiled and Kai continued,

“When YoungMin found out that YoungJoo was in Seoul, he thought that it was his chance to find you again. He stroke a deal with me…. That if I were to follow his orders then he wouldn’t hurt or punish you or YoungJoo…. That’s why I pulled the gun on you… Of course, it was set on safe mode…”

Kai said. HyeRim smiled, but then remembered that one moment during the 11 years away from Seoul, that she had sex with Chanyeol….

“I guess it’s time for me to confess now…”

HyeRim said as she fiddled with her fingers. Kai looked at her, but then back at the road.

“What do you mean?

He asked.

“I…. I had sex with Chanyeol….”

Kai just stared at her after they had stopped at a stoplight.

“W-What?”

Kai asked. HyeRim replied with a nod and she couldn’t look at him in the face. After that it was just a long awkward silence. Kai accelerated the car as soon as he saw the green light, but the awkward atmosphere would not go away.

As soon as they got home, HyeRim wanted to get away from Kai as fast as she could because she was too scared and afraid of what Kai would say. Kai, on the other hand, decided that it was time to talk to Chanyeol after these few days. After the whole court ordeal with YoungJoo was over a month ago, Kai and HyeRim haven’t seen Chanyeol…

“To: Chanyeol

Chanyeol… We need to talk… Now….”

Kai sent a text to Chanyeol and waited for his reply. A few minutes later, Chanyeol finally replied,

“To: Kai

“Okay….. We’ll talk at the café near your house…”

Kai’s face was serious as he saw the text. He put on his jacket and looked up the stairs before he left. He sighed and opened the front door. Kai then began to make his way to the café.

At the Café…

Kai entered the café and looked around for a familiar face. He saw a booth at the corner of the café. There, he saw, was Chanyeol. He wore a fancy, crisp suit that tightened around his body, as he drank out of his cup of coffee. Kai made his way to the last booth and sat himself across from Chanyeol.

“So what did you want to talk about?”

Chanyeol asked.

“I’m sure you would know already…..”

Kai quickly replied.

“What do you mean?”

Chanyeol asked.

“Today… HyeRim was able to get out of the house for the first time…”

Kai confessed.

“R-Really? Can I go visit her right now?”

Chanyeol asked.

“Ani… That’s not what I wanted to tell you.”

Kai said bluntly.

“Then… What is it then?”

Chanyeol asked once more.

“HyeRim confessed to me…. That she had sex with you…”

Kai said as he curled his hand into a fist.

“Oh…. Kuge….. Kai…. Remember when you told HyeRim that you loved her?”

Chanyeol said as he wanted to explain. Kai nodded and Chanyeol continued,

“Kai…. I was the first one to have sex with HyeRim… I took her virginity first and I was the first one to know of her past. I.... Way before you… I confessed to HyeRim…. I even confessed to her again when we went to Jeollanam-do…. Kai…. I loved her way before you…. I’m not giving up on her….”

Chanyeol said as his eyes darted at Kai… Kai was shocked, but he knew that he would have to go up against competition at some point.

“Chanyeol… I’m not giving her up either… So… I guess this means that we are love rivals….”

Kai said…

“I guess so…”

Chanyeol and Kai gave each other the death glare as they were going to start their battle for HyeRim’s love….