𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬 | 𝐊. 𝐆𝐖 - 𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞

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6 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓

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Geon-woo grimaced, face twisting while morning light seeped in through the thin curtains of the small room. His shoulders ached from yesterday’s training, his arm sluggishly lifting to grasp at the small ringing alarm clock beside his head. Bleary eyes refocused, vaguely making out the small arms ticking to 5am. His arm dropped and his eyelids followed when he tiredly lowered his head back onto the pillow.

Geon-woo felt himself slipping back into slumber, his fatigue beckoning him back into slumber, but his motivation got the best of him. With a small groan he knew he had to wake.

His head slipped to his shoulder, half lidden eyes softening at the sleeping figure curled in his side. Nari was pressed against him, fingers resting upon his wrinkled shirt, her one leg over his and her head pressed against his shoulder. His fingers lightly brushed her now shorter hair. 

Since their return back to the countryside a lot had changed for the group of friends, mostly their appearences. They had thrown themselves into rigorous training. They needed to be fitter, stronger, better. They could’nt let Myeong-gil best them again, they couldn’t allow to slip up and they couldn’t afford to be weak. So they came up with routine. A tight, rigorous, exhausting and difficult routine that ensured they’d walk out untouchable. And they had. 

Both Woo-jin and Nari had decided to go together to cut their hair, a drastic change they both needed. A way to finally let go of the past and move forward. A change they did together. Nari’s long raven curls were now cropped to her shoudlers, while Woo-jin’s locks were styled short and above his ears. Both hairstyles suited the two friends very well. Hyeon-ju kept her hair short, her hair lightly brushing her ears but she was no exception from the harsh training. Only, she did it on a lighter scale and instead started training with her baton and taser and somehow became their personal chef. Nari just thought it was an excuse to get out of the day long training programme Woo-jin and Geon-woo came up with. Nari sometimes emvied her when she was laying in a pool of her own sweat, defeated while Woo-jin pestered her about her form. Nari would threaten throwing him off the cliff if he didn’t shut up. But she wouldn’t deny their efforts were not in vain, they were stronger and they were way more prepared.

Geon-woo’s fingers languidly drifted over her cheekbone, her hair wrapping around his pointer finger of which he parted from her face before he slipped out of her embrace and lifted himself onto his forearm. His eyes trailed over her closed ones. Long eyelashes on her cheeks, barely noticeable freckles dotting her nose as soft breaths left her lips. Her nightmares had decreased significantly since she’d thrown herself into training. Geon-woo had noticed she had been sleeping for longer hours without waking herself up to screams or pleas. A part of him was relieved. It didn’t matter that months had passed since they had lost everyone but it had not become easier just more tolerable and it only fuelled their desire for revenge. Maybe that’s why she was excelling more than any one of them. Nari was out for blood.

Geon-woo noticed the change in her since she returned from Seoul after her father. The spark in her eyes had dulled and were replaced by this cold fire of bloodlust . Geon-woo and her had trained her boxing skills. She had been rusty but the second she put on those gloves, it had felt like second nature to her as if she never left. It felt right. Geon-woo and her would train for hours on end, they’d circle each other, dance and parry. He was hesitant in the beginning, to land a proper hit on her, always dancing around it or landing soft blows for practice. But the deeper they got into training and the more she thought of Myeong-gil’s head on a paltter- the more she told him to stop holding back. Together, they both got stronger, they both built each other up and soon Nari was dropping him before he had the opportunity to blink. 

The first time she had managed to drop him, he gazed at her from the bottom of their makeshift ring, His forearms propping him up, legs sprawled before him but he looked at her awed. Nari stood before him heaving, her pants raggered and her eyes clouded as if she didn’t realise her actions until after he did. His lips parted and then upturned into a proud and elated grin.

Since then their late night spars became frequent, Nari became stronger and fiercer and the group were ready to return back to Seoul.

Geon-woo had eventually decided to leave Nari to sleep for a while longer, they had taken to the ring the whole of yesterday and she’d been so worn out and probably sore, he would grant her some sort of respite. However- Woo-jin would not.

Geon-woo slipped from under the blanket, tiredly and languidly relieving himself of his night shirt as he grabbed another. His movements were fatigued as he tugged on his jacket before grabbing a spare for Woo-jin. His smile was tired but sincere and he crouched down besides Nari’s sleeping body, pressing a swift kiss to her brow, he grabbed the alarm clock and softly closed the door behind him.

Woo-jin was sprawled out on the floor of the living room. His shirts riding up his toned legs, shirt crinkled across his torso with the blanket tangled between halfway off his legs and onto the floor. His snores came out louder, eyes shut as if he had no intention of ever waking up. Geon-woo’s grin was anything but kind as he placed the alarm clock right by his ear. His eyes drifted to a sleeping Hyeon-ju who was laying on the couch, her shoulder towards him and the blanket pulled till her neck. She had earmuffs on, a habit she had taken due to Woo-jin’s rather loud snoring. 

Woo-jin watched as the hands ticked closer until landing exactly on 5am. The two bells rang violently, and Woo-jin’s snoring ceased and his eyes sprung open. He groaned loudly, his eyes shutting in disgust as the ringing deafened his ears. Hyeon-ju did not stir. Geon-woo watched with a tired lopsided smile as Woo-jin’s hands grasped aimlessly at the alarm clock before defeatedly lifting himself up to slam his palm to silence it.

His eyes remained closed as he sat himself upright, his hair sticking in every direction while he grumbled, “It gets me every time” he croaked, his voice like gravel before he grunted when Geon-woo chucked him his jacket for their morning run.

With an outstretched hand, Geon-woo lifted Woo-jin to his feet. The older boy staggering with fatigue weighing his bones of which he held onto Geon-woos’ shoulder to put on his shoes. With a deep breath and the cold, fresh and early misty dawn beckoning their call, the two boys began their run.

“Morning sunshine”

Nari’s smile was fake as she dismissed Hyeon-ju who was prepping breakfast. The woman was slotting eggs onto each of their plates as Nari came in, hair slightly drenched from her shower where she rubbed it with a towel. Her eyes still adjusting to the morning light and Hyeon-ju’s voice. Nari was not a morning person, Hyeon-ju was. You can imagine the spiffs they got into.

” They not back yet?” Nari asked as she dropped the towel into the laundry basket and approached the woman who had placed the utensils into the sink.

“They’ll be back soon. It’s almost 9” Hyeon-ju said and Nari nodded in response, waving her hand in front of her mouth to conceal her yawn.

“How did you sleep?” Nari asked as Hyeon- ju handed her a cup of coffee, the older woman smiling gratefully as it warmed her hands and the smell of cocoa beans drifted into the air. Nari inhaled the sweet smell with a tired smile. She really did love Hyeon-ju and not just cause she made great coffee.

“As best as I can with Woo-jin’s snoring” Hyeon-ju grumbled as she took a seat opposite her, tea in her hand of which she cradled in her grasp, the warmth seeping between her fingers.

“I did say you should sleep with me instead” Nari teased, throwing her a wink of which her friend rolled her eyes at with a chuckle,

“I don’t think your boyfriend would appreciate that” Hyeon-ju told her. “He gets scary when it comes to you”

Nari went to deny but the look Hyeon-ju sent her way silenced her immediately. There was no denying that Kim Geon-woo could become ruthless whenever Nari was involved. Hyeon-ju had witnessed it first hand. He couldn’t imagine Kim Myeong-gil ever walking away unscathed by the time Geon-woo got his hands on him.

“Fine but the offer is still on the table. They can cuddle if they’d like.” Nari jested while Hyeon-ju nodded in agreement, her mug raised in salute.

“I think Woo-jin may like that a little too much” the woman said prompting Nari’s hearty laugh.

The two girls sat with idle chatter until they heard the garage door open, signalling the return of the two men. Hyeon-ju jutted her head in the direction, her brow raised.

“Fetch them for breakfast” Hyeon-ju said, her finger pointed behind them. Nari huffed, shuffling out of the chair and making her way to the garage.

“Breakfast” she called as she entered.

” You know the way to my heart Riri” Woo-jin teased as he tugged his shirt down over his head, sweat dripping from his hair with his face flushed but his eyes were mischievous as ever.

“You know I would never go out of my way for you Jinnie” she mocked back with a fake put on her face as his face twisted and let out a dramatic outcry.

“Your girlfriend is mean” Woo-jin complained, sulking and sending Geon-woo a pointed look.

Nari glanced at her boyfriend, leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest as she not so subtly checked him over.

His arms were lifted over his head, a fresh t-shirt in his grasp. Nari’s eyes drifted over the ripple of his muscles, beads of sweat rolling down his muscular back and dipping down his waist. His abs tensed, hair slicked with water and sweat as he tugged on his shirt, his biceps rippling and Nari was dissapointed when he let go of his shirt and chucked the old one at Woo-jin’s face.

” Maybe next time don’t flirt with my girlfriend” Geon-woo said, his tone softening at the word girlfriend ( he loved the way it rolled off his tongue. He loved calling her his girlfriend). Woo-jin grabbed the shirt flying at his face with a grumble before crumbling it in his hands and throwing it into the basket.

Nari noticed the change in their physiques over the months. She watched them grow stronger, their muscles becoming more prominant and defined. The melanin in their skin had made them more detailed the more time they spent in the sun. Nari thanked the heavens for that. It was not that the two men weren’t fit, in actual fact, they were very well off but with their months long training, they were now practically unstoppable. And Nari enjoyed every second of it.

If her boyfriend was not perfection in her eys already he definitely was now.

He made his way to her, his hands circling her waist as his hand flexed at her lower back. Her hands lifted to rest on his toned torso, her fingers could feel his abs from beneath his shirt as he placed a quick kiss to her cheek.She pushed him away slightly, her lip frowning in disgust.

“You’re sweaty” she said.

His eyes sparkled with bemusement, his fingers tightening on her waist in response as he pulled her flush against him despite her protests.

“That’s never been a problem” he said lowly in her ear, his amusement seeping into his tone and Nari found herself vigourously blushing as she slapped him hard against his chest. He laughed as his hand curled around hers, pulling her away from the wall as she used her other hand to smack his shoudler. She blew out her cheeks to stop the burning in her face.

“You guys are disgusting” Woo-jin grimaced, his face twisted in horror and dismay as he eyed them distraught.

Nari raised her brow, glancing at him over her shoudler while Geon-woo tugged her towards the living room, Woo-jin in tow but keeping a distance.

“Weren’t you the one practically exploding for wanting us to be together” she chided.

” Maybe that was my first mistake” he grumbled as he brushed past them. ” Had I known the two of you would be so sickening, I would’ve stopped”

” You wouldn’t have.” Geon-woo called after him as they followed him into the house.

Woo-jin pulled a face behinf his back as he slumped in the chair, the food wafting into the air as his mouth salivated. His hands rubbed together excitedly as Hyeon-ju sat beside him. Geon-woo pulled the chair back, his hands on the backrest allowing Nari to sit down with a smile before he joined her side.

“That was gross” Woo-jin grumbled, eyeing the two before grabbing the fork as the food waited for him eagerly. “This however is not” he didn’t waste another second before shovelling the food into his mouth.

“You’re just jealous he didn’t do it for you” Hyeon-ju teased, her fingers grabbing the fork more tentavely as they all began eating, at a much slower pace to Woo-jin who was wolfing down his food, not caring for cheweing as he practically inhaled it like a starved man.

Hyeon-ju grimaced but didn’t say a word, they were all used to his undignified way of eating, despite their unsettlement for his lack of better manners.

The group continued breakfast happily, their bellies full, their smiles wide and their hearts fulfilled. There was something in the air that was promising and Nari had a feeling, that the next step of their plan was finally unfolding.

Kim Meong-gil’s time was running out. Nari was sure of it. 

Apologies if there’s mistakes in this chapter. I may have pink eye and can’t see shit😭

Damn guys I know I put you through some trauma but you don’t have to jinx me like this 😭

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