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"Bang!"
He looked down at his chest, feeling the world nearly stop and move in slow-motion at once.
He didn't feel the pain, yet. All he could see, was a dark red flower spreading on his chest, just above his heart. His breath was caught in his throat as his lips formed a surprised "Oh", not registering, what was actually happening. He could feel the gears in his head working, trying to make sense of what had just happened, but it was no use.
How could you ever grasp, that the person, you trusted the most, had just fatally shot you?
He looked up, his head heavy by now. His eyes caught by the person, who had pulled the trigger only seconds ago. His best friend. His confidant.
His soulmate.
He expected to see his hand tremble, begging and crying. Regretting, what he had just done. But no such thing. His hand was steady as iron, his posture firm, making Jaebeom realize, that it was him. It had been him all along. They, the Special Forces, had been trying to catch the syndicate for over six years now. Hunting and looking everywhere in the country to find more than one or two footmen.
A defeating thought slowly crawled into his mind:
You have never even been near to catching the head of the organization at all.
His legs finally gave in, after what felt like an eternity. His lips trembling: "It's you." He could feel the taste of copper, as he tried to speak those words clearly. Now on his knees, he had trouble even looking up at the face, he thought he knew like the back of his hand.
To Jaebeom's surprise, the man slowly walked towards him. Was it his imagination or could he see a tinge of sadness wash over his face for the slightest nanosecond?
The young man crouched down right in front of him, baring eyes as cold as the night. His face showed no emotions. He looked directly into Jaebeom's eyes, sighing: "Yes, you are right, agent Lim. Sadly, it's too late now, no?" His gaze wandered down, stopping on the beautiful flower, flowing and dripping by now. He wondered, how a color could be this beautiful on a man. He was mesmerized, in no hurry to leave or end their last conversation at all. No one would find them this fast, anyway. No one knew, where they had gone.
Jaebeom, being the white knight, he had always been, had tried to lure him out on his own. Too bad he didn’t know, that he himself had brought the head of the syndicate, he was hunting, to this secluded place.
Too bad, Jaebeomie.
"Wae?" A hundred words were spiraling in his head, making him dizzy. Still, the only thing that his lips formed was this single word.
Jinyoung looked surprised. He must have thought, that he was unconscious by now, but Jaebeom wouldn’t give him that satisfication.
He angled his head to one side like an owl, watching Jaebeom closely: "Why? Because I am, who I am. This is me. It always has been like this. Would you believe me, if I told you, that I didn't plan this?" His voice softened at the question.
Jaebeom snorted, his vision blurring by now. His mind was fading. The light laugh escaping Jinyoung's lips was such a stark contrast to how he felt. "You are right, it would be a lie. Of course, I planned everything, this is only one of maybe four possible outcomes." He sighed heavily, Jaebeom could see his face, even as his eyes slowly closed, from the tiredness he felt washing over him, making him lean to one side and fall. He nearly didn't feel the impact at all, making him realize, that he didn't have much time left.
He was dying.
"Still, it truly isn't my favourite one. It's not a lie, when I say: I will truly miss you."
Jaebeom was already half unconscious, seeing the Jinyoung from four years ago in his mind blurring with the one in front of him. He remembered the very first day he had met him. He had also laughed lightly like just now, when Jaebeom had said goodbye, after dropping him off from the police station, he worked at, back then. It sounded as pure and carefree to Jaebeom as that time. What had he said that night, when the streetlamps had cloaked him in their yellowish light, making him shine mesmerisingly? It was something like...
"It was really fun being with you, Hyung. I mean it." Jaebeom wasn't sure, which Jinyoung was speaking in his mind now. All he could feel was the cold, that had taken over his body completely. He welcomed the numbness with open arms, taking him away from this cruel realization.
His mind slipped away into darkness and his chest stopped moving after less than a minute. Jinyoung stayed another moment, before standing up and dusting off his pants. He glanced one last time at his closest friend, before leaving. His steps were quieted by the grass as he walked away, humming a lullaby.
Jaebeom looked like he had fallen asleep in the middle of the field, they had stood in. Peacefully, but gradually. It was a beautiful sight.
The only thing betraying the picture, was the scarlet flower now fully blooming on his chest.
Its dark red and liquid petals fanned around him.
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"Our memories flood out of my perforated heart. I block it to keep them inside, but they escape through my fingers."
- Like Being Shot