𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬 | 𝐊. 𝐆𝐖 - 𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐯. 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮

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Tick tick tick

Hyeon-ju sat in the waiting room, her hands cradled in her lap, clenching and unclenching. They were drenched in a thick layer of blood- her grandfather’s blood, Woo-jin’s blood. So much blood. They were shaking, tremors rocking her body as the sounds around her buzzed into the faint ticking of the clock on the wall and a low hum in her ears. She had texted Nari, phoned her and yet every time it rang and rang and then went to voicemail. Her texts went unopened and Hyeon-ju felt entirely alone.

Her mask was slipping down her face, tears had longed dried but her grief hadn’t. Her heart stuttered uncontrollably as memories with her grandfather flashed before her like a sad movie. The only family she had left, cruelly ripped from her once more. He had wanted to take them to Rome, to ‘flex’. How she had laughed at how silly he sounded but what she’d do to hear it again. He had told her he wanted a trip, with his family. She was his family, the only person he ever truly cared for and she failed him. It had taken her so long to truly love him as he loved her and by then it was too late. He was dead. He was dead, Woo-jin was dying and Nari was not answering her damn phone.

Her head bowed and her fingers clutched onto Geon-woo’s blood sodden jacket closer. It was the only thing grounding her as she waited for him to return.

He had offered his blood for Woo-jin who was clinging to life as they spoke. Woo-jin, someone who she first despised, had grown on her, with his silly jokes, and horrible innuendoes and was someone always so full of life. Geon-woo would not let Woo-jin die, she knew that.

Hyeon-ju did not care as people bustled in and out of the foyer. She did not raise her head as the door opened and closed. Peoples’ whispers and yelling went unbothered as doctors rushed with urgency and monitors were beeping rather solemnly. Hyeon-ju simply did not care. She was tired. Everything that she ever held dear was gone in a matter of hours. A bundle of what if’s buried her alive and she couldn’t help thinking that there was nothing left to lose. 

Until there was.

Geon-woo came barrelling into the foyer, startling her as he grabbed her shoulders for support, his knees giving out on him as dizzy spells hit him like a truck. Woo-jin would be fine, he ensured that, but Nari would not. He had glanced at his phone to check in on her when the one-word text tore through him like a knife. Clean and precise. Because the universe would find a way to knock him while he was down.

help

That was all it said and then nothing. Her phone merely rang, and her messages were not going through.

Nari may have already been dead.

“Geon-woo” Hyeon-ju had barely uttered his name before he hauled himself to his feet, his eyes pooling with tears, and he visibly shook beneath her palm. Hyeon-ju wasn’t sure he could properly stand in the moment either. He looked as if he may faint.

“Nari. I need to get to Nari” he muttered dazelike and then he told her to stay put, not quite looking at her and then he was gone.

He knew she had to be at the restaurant, he knew she had to be alive because if he was to lose Nari then nothing else mattered anymore. It would of all been for nothing. 

Her name was the only thing echoing in his head as he ran. He ran, faster than he’d ever. He pushed himself more than he had ever trained for. His legs, despite how shaky and unnatural they felt propelled him further. Because Nari needed him and his body yearned for her that it became automatic. So, he urged himself harder and he didn’t care if he collapsed, unless it was beside her. Because he grew to love her. He would not lose her. Not if Myeong-gil knew what would become of him if Nari was hurt or worse. Kim Myeong-gil was doomed, and it would be by his hand.

Of that he was certain.

They say grief is the price we pay for love

Geon-woo was no stranger to it but the type of grief he felt at his father’s betrayal to the grief of losing someone who he held in such regard to potentially losing his brother was nothing to what he felt when he entered the restaurant of where he shared many laughs, many jests and of where it had started their journey of vengeance.

They say when you love and you love hard, grief is guaranteed.

And to Geon-woo one thing was for sure was when he loved he loved hard. And his loyalty and love would be his undoing. However, what fate failed to understand was that Geon-woo was a fighter and he fought for his love, and he fought for his family. Nari was his family.

Geon-woo would not fall victim to his grief. Because he would not allow it to take away the one good thing that came from this mess. He would not allow them to take Nari away from him.

So to them he said to hell with what others say.

Geon-woo staggered into the store, her name bellowing from his lips before the scene sent him staggering back. Chairs and tables were splintered to pieces, blood was splattered across the floor and in the centre, to his horror was the limp body of Mr Kwan.

He sank to his knees, checking for a pulse but all he got was nothing- no wheeze, no choked breath, no pulse. Mr Kwan was dead.

The bile in his throat came quick and he had to press his arm over his mouth to stomach it before his bile would add to the swirls of projection on the floor. But Geon-woo could not loiter and break down again over Mr Kwan’s body, not until he found Nari. Not until he knew she was okay.

“Nari” her name came up choked and raw and so rough it was completely different from how hours ago he’d whispered it in her ear, tender and dear and she smiled, so brightly as if she grew to adore her name because of it. His heart clenched so tightly he had to hold onto the wall for support as he stumbled to the kitchen.

“Nari” he choked out once more before entering.

If Geon-woo had felt grief upon seeing Woo-jin’s body, it was a simple pinch in the raw anguish he felt upon setting his sight upon Nari’s limp form.

He moved on autopilot, her name tumbling from his lips faster than his feet took to reach her. He sank to the floor and lifted her unmoving body onto his lap. Fresh waves of tears rolled down his cheeks as he cradled her as if she were a child. His hand, trembling so violently  could barely sweep at her hair before dropping. He was too weak, his body felt as if he couldn’t move let alone caress her hair, her cheek,  long enough before laying limp.

“Nari, hey, open your eyes” his voice shook with every word as if it too were dying.

She was bathed in red, the right side of her face was wet with water and blood alike, hair matted in crimson streaks and clothes drenched from the water that pooled around them. Geon-woo had lifted his gaze once which resulted in him cradling Nari to his chest tighter, fresh sobs racking his body when he finally noticed the corpse of Hwang Yang-jung who laid a few feet ahead of them.

His sobs left his lips and utter anguish so visceral tore him apart as he rocked their bodies gently. She was merely sleeping he tried to reason, and the faint sound of sirens echoed in his ears. Sleeping he muttered as his thumb traced over her closed eyes, begging for them to open.

”Nari, wake up, please” he whispered, his head dropping to the crook of her neck as tears drifted onto her skin. She did not stir but his only consolidation, his only reprieve was that her chest, unless staring unblinking, rose and fell at odd paces. She was alive but barely. She was fighting to stay alive. 

Geon-woo screamed, so loudly that the paramedics at the door froze. They shared a look before rushing towards them.

In their horror at the sight, it took a second to register the sobbing man cradling the limp figure of a woman. It wasn’t long before they sprang into action.

“Sir, you need to let go” one of them, a young blonde man, said. He held a med kit in hand while the others rushed back out to grab a stretcher.

“Sir, you need to listen to me. I cannot help her unless you let go” the blond paramedic said more sternly as he eyed the unyielding grip Geon-woo had on Nari.

“I can’t” he muttered as he rocked them back and forth ever so lightly.

“Sir” the paramedic urged but Geon-woo shook his head, his eyes slowly lifting to meet the blonde’s.

”I physically can’t” Geon-woo cried and the paramedic felt his heart drop at the torment on his face. The paramedic reluctantly pried off Geon-woo’s trembling arms as the other paramedics rushed into the kitchen.

“She will be okay” the paramedic said to Geon-woo who couldn’t lift his gaze from Nari as the paramedics settled her onto the stretcher which began reddening in colour beneath her.

“Her heartbeat is faint!” he barely heard as the blonde paramedic came back for him, lifting him up and slinging is arm around his shoulders.

“We need to get her to a hospital!” another shouted, hooking an oxygen mask around her nose and mouth.

“We don’t have much time” the last one said.

She might not make it– is what that meant. Nari could die.

Geon-woo sagged in the paramedic’s hold, the blonde having to tighten his hold on the boy.

”Sir, are you okay?” the paramedic asked and Geon-woo wheezed in reply. He couldn’t breathe. In both their times of panic they had each other but now… Geon-woo felt his legs give from underneath him, the paramedic going down to soften his fall as horrible gasps for air physically ripped at his lungs.

Geon-woo felt as if he may die.

“Sir, sir, look at me” the paramedic insisted, ” You need to breathe, with me alright. She is safe, she will be okay and she will get her help” he said, ensuring Geon-woo looked at him, his eyes sincere. ” Did you hear that, she will be fine. You got to her in time. She will survive”

She will survive. She will survive.

Geon- woo inhaled harshly and he barley coaxed a nod before the paramedic hoisted him back up and with gentle hands from the others, helped him into the ambulance which was enroute to the hospital.

Geon-woo weakly reached out to grab the blonde paramedic’s shoulder, his words barley coming out. “What of the others?”

The paramedic’s eyes told him everything he needed to know.

They were dead.

“I will stay behind, until the cops show up” one of them said and the others nodded, Geon-woo’s grip loosening as the blonde joined him and the doors slammed shut.

The sirens had never been more sentencing as Geon-woo held onto Nari’s limp hand while the paramedic rushed and tried to stop her bleeding before it was too late.

Death had reaped but it would not take Nari away.

He still had a question to ask. 

There’s no story if Nari dies guys😭😭😭
but it doesn’t mean they can’t suffer a bit 🤪

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