“What do we do? About the threats we’ve been receiving?” Sungmin asked Eeteuk who was staring at the papers thoughtfully. Kyuhyun remained silent. It had been two days since they received a threat but neither of them hoped that the letters were over with.
“I wouldn’t do anything about it just yet. If you get another threatening letter, go to the police. If you get attacked, go to the police. We can call Heechul’s friend and talk to him if you want,” Eeteuk said, his umma senses starting to tingle.
“Well, nothing has come for the past few days so I think we should wait until something really threatening happens like an attempt is made on our lives or something. I think we’ll be okay,” Sungmin replied, looking to Kyuhyun for agreement.
“It’s too much to hope that the letters have stopped cold right now. But I agree, I think we’ll be fine for the next few days. But, if something does happen, we’ll immediately go to the police,” Kyuhyun nodded. Eeteuk looked fairly pleased with this and sighed.
“When did these letters start coming?” the umma asked. Sungmin shrugged, not remembering when the first one showed up.
“Sometime….late last week?” He guessed, thinking back.
“Yeah, it was on Saturday,” Kyuhyun affirmed.
“It doesn’t sound too serious but be careful you two. We all know that Jiwon was a dangerous guy and he did have a huge army, gang thing behind him so keep an eye on each other,” Eeteuk instructed. The two of them nodded.
“We should get going. Jiyong wanted us for dinner at six and we have just enough time to walk there,” Kyuhyun pointed at the clock behind Eeteuk’s head.
“Why are you walking? Don’t you have a car?” Eeteuk asked.
“Yeah but Sungmin wanted to walk in order to save the environment. So we have to walk to Seunghyun and Jiyong’s place. Luckily they live close to you. So we don’t have to walk too far.”
“Right, we should be going. They invited us to dinner. It was nice talking to you umma. Say hello to Kangin-appa for us!” Sungmin hugged Eeteuk tightly. In turn, the umma brought Kyuhyun in for a group hug and squished them both in what would later be called “The Umma Death Hug”.
“Okay, go off to dinner. Have a good time and say hello to G-Dragon for us!” Eeteuk walked them to the door. Eeteuk never called Jiyong by his real name anymore. He loved the nickname Jiyong had and therefore took every opportunity to say “G-Dragon” that he could.
“We will,” Sungmin promised. The two of them walked away from their friends’ house. Sungmin felt more relaxed than he had before. Eeteuk had reminded him that they too had connections with the police force.
He leaned comfortably against Kyuhyun as they walked. Despite all the threats and problems they were having, he felt at peace right now. Kyuhyun somehow made everything better. Sungmin felt so thankful for having him in his life.
“Kyu…” Sungmin whispered.
“What is it, Minnie?” Kyuhyun asked.
“I love you,” Sungmin’s voice was barely audible. Kyuhyun turned to look at him, the expression on his face growing tender and caring. He leaned down and kissed Sungmin’s forehead.
“I love you too,” Kyuhyun murmured, bending down further and pressing his lips to his hyung’s soft mouth. Sungmin forgot where they were, forgot what was going on and forgot everything as Kyuhyun held him there.
But unfortunately there’s something that humans need called air. And we need it to survive. And all too soon, this survival instinct kicked in on the two and they parted reluctantly. Sungmin was panting slightly.
“How do you do it?” Sungmin asked softly.
“How do I do what?”
“Make me fall in love with you all over again every single time you kiss me?” Sungmin smiled. Kyuhyun wrapped an arm around his lover and pulled him close, continuing to walk with him.
“I don’t know. How do you make me fall in love with you every time you touch me?” Kyuhyun countered. Sungmin grinned.
“Then we’re equal. Should we tell them about the letters?” Sungmin asked. Kyuhyun nodded.
“They would want to know. After all, they are our friends. And Jiyong will probably have some advice too. So it’s only right they should know.”
“I must be a target for trouble. There always seems to be someone trying to kill me,” Sungmin sighed, looking up at the darkening sky.
“And when that someone tries to kill you, the entirety of your family takes that person down. So don’t be afraid, Minnie.”
“I have you, Kyu. I don’t need to be.”
~₴~≠~₴~≠~
“I have made an executive decision! We will be cooking rice and pork!” Jiyong instructed from the other side of the kitchen. The chef hat he was wearing on his head kept flopping into his face and Seunghyun would have been laughing if he hadn’t been wearing the same ridiculous hat. But as long as Jiyong was happy, so was he.
“Jiyong, in case you haven’t realized, they will be arriving in about three minutes. How are we supposed to cook something in that time frame?” Seunghyun asked. Jiyong stared at him in horror.
“WHAT?! HOW COULD THAT POSSIBLY BE?! WE HAD FIVE HOURS THE LAST TIME I CHECKED!” Jiyong yelled, rushing to the kitchen clock.
“Well those five hours was taken up by making the two cups of rice that didn’t end up being burned,” Seunghyun told him.
“It isn’t possible. Give me more time!”
“How can I do that?”
“I don’t know! You’re smart….make some!”
“I can’t possibly make time!”
“Here’s what we’ll do,” Jiyong announced. Seunghyun could practically see the light bulb above his head go on.
“What?” Seunghyun asked warily.
“You will go and order take out from some random restaurant. I don’t care what it is as long as it looks good. You will have made the dinner, me the dessert got it? Now go!” Jiyong pushed him in the direction of the phone.
Seunghyun smiled. Only Jiyong would have done this. That’s what made him so special. When one thing doesn’t work, find a substitute. He hurried to the phone and dialled a number quickly.
The doorbell rang and Jiyong ran to get it. He threw open the door with exuberance, exacting way more force than he needed but somehow the door survived.
“SUNGMIN AND KYUHYUN ARE HERE!” Jiyong yelled. He tugged the both of them inside and pulled them to the living room.
“Nice to see you again, G-Dragon!” Sungmin greeted his friend by hugging him tightly.
“Sit down. Now what’s going on in your lives?” Jiyong asked.
“Well, we’ve been getting threatening letters from someone and weird, coded messages from another. We’re not sure what the code is but we really need to know. Because the letters are just a bunch of nonsense otherwise,” Sungmin told him.
“Who are the threat messages from? Do you know?” Jiyong asked.
“We think they’re from Jiwon’s old gang. Because of the paper that’s being used. They want revenge for what happened to Jiwon,” Kyuhyun explained.
“Isn’t Jiwon dead?” Jiyong asked.
“Yeah, he was smothered by his cellmate. Apparently he snored too loudly.”
“I never noticed it when I lived with him,” Sungmin said thoughtfully. Jiyong narrowed his eyes slightly as he thought.
“Well, if these letters persist, go to the police,” Jiyong commanded.
“They’ve stopped for a while but they still might be coming. If we get another letter we’re going to the authorities,” Sungmin declared.
“Dinner is served,” Seunghyun said, coming into the room and giving Jiyong a meaningful glance. The three in the living room followed the eldest into the dining room where they were being served dinner.
“It smells really good!” Sungmin clapped his hands in delight.
“It should, judging by the cost,” Seunghyun muttered. Jiyong elbowed him and sat down.
“Please ignore Seunghyun. His mind has wandered off somewhere and we’re still trying to find it,” Jiyong said, picking up his chopsticks.
The four of them ate and talked companionably. Jiyong was certain that there would be a rising storm. But when and where it would hit was another story. He was worried for his friends. The minute something seemed wrong, he would go to the police. He was certain that his friends were in danger.
~₴~≠~₴~≠~
Sungmin held Kyuhyun’s hand tightly as they walked back through the streets of the city, full of the dinner they had just attended. Sungmin was grateful for friends like Jiyong and Seunghyun. The two of them understood that it was hard to live but anything could happen.
“Kyu, when we get home tonight, I’m going to wrap myself in a warm blanket,” Sungmin said, rubbing his arms at the slight chill in the air.
“Can I join you in there?” Kyuhyun smirked. Sungmin opened his mouth to answer but a gunshot stopped him. Fear froze his muscles. Another gunshot sounded followed by a barrage of them.
“Kyu…what’s happening?” Sungmin whispered.
“I think two gangs are fighting. We need to get away from here. Quick, let’s-” There was a loud bang and a clang near Kyuhyun as a bullet hit the garbage can almost directly beside him. Sungmin jumped.
“Are they firing at us?” Sungmin asked, his voice small. By now, the sounds of bullets whizzing through the air was loud. It meant they were in the middle of the fight. Without thinking, he grabbed Kyuhyun’s hand and ran blindly down an alley and hid behind some boxes and dumpsters while waiting for the gunfire to cease.
“Are you okay, Minnie?” Kyuhyun asked, carefully inspecting Sungmin’s body. The elder male nodded.
“Are you okay, Kyuhyun?” Sungmin asked. His husband nodded in the affirmative. There was a crash from overhead as a bullet hit a flowerpot and the ceramic shattered. Sungmin quivered in fear. Kyuhyun wrapped his arms around the older man.
A long time ago, when he was fifteen, he had been a part of something like this. He had been the head of his own mob and he had terrorized part of the city with this gang. But the police had gotten wind of them and they split up, vowing to return when the police investigations died down.
Gun warfare was nothing new to him but it obviously affected Sungmin a lot. After all, he had once seen Jiwon kill and he had been afraid of guns ever since.
Kyuhyun tightened his hold when at least three bullets were shot down their alley, ricocheting off of the dumpsters. Sungmin whimpered and burrowed into Kyuhyun. The shooting stopped for a moment and there was quiet.
“It’s okay, Minnie, I’m here with you. Shh, don’t worry. We’ll be fine,” Kyuhyun pressed a kiss to the top of Sungmin’s silky hair. He was about to give more words of comfort to Sungmin when a voice shattered the silence.
“Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run. Bang, bang, bang goes the farmer’s gun. So run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run!”
The chant echoed in the neighbourhood and Kyuhyun and Sungmin knew exactly who they were talking to. Sungmin bit his lip. Kyuhyun placed a comforting hand on his arm. The voice faded away and there was nothing but silence left.
“I don’t think we’re safe anymore, Kyuhyun,” Sungmin whispered. How could life have spiralled out of control so quickly?
“We’re going to the police station. Now.”
~₴~≠~₴~≠~
Eeteuk marched through the door of the police station with Kyuhyun and Sungmin in tow. He walked to the front desk.
“We’re here to see Jung Yunho,” Eeteuk explained. The man in charge nodded.
“Follow me.”
The uniformed officer led them into an office and told them to wait, motioning at the three chairs that were placed in front of the desk. Eeteuk sat in one and Kyuhyun and Sungmin sat in the other two chairs.
“What exactly happened?” Eeteuk asked. “You left and then four hours later you come back, shaking and scared, Sungmin looks like he’s about to faint then nearly does and you tell me to phone Yunho immediately.”
“We were in the middle of a gang fight. But it wasn’t intentional. Or at least, we didn’t intend to do so. But the action was intended for us. After the fight ended, we heard someone singing this song about a rabbit. And Jiwon’s old gang knows that Sungmin likes bunnies,” Kyuhyun explained.
“Then it’s good we’re here. Are you feeling better, Sungmin? Are you sure you didn’t want to stay at our place?” Eeteuk asked, turning to his slightly pale child.
“I’m feeling better, umma. It was just….reminding me of previous days,” Sungmin said shakily. Kyuhyun slipped his hand into Sungmin’s and held on tight. The elder gave him a small smile. The door opened and Yunho walked in.
“Hey, Eeteuk. Long time no see. How’s Heechul enjoying
“They’re having a good time. This is the second time they’ve been there together,” Eeteuk smiled tightly.
“That’s good. How’s Kangin?”
“He’s fine. His work is going well.”
“Very good. Now, the call I got from you said that you wanted to talk to me about something important. Would you like to explain what it is?”
“I think these two can do it better than me,” Eeteuk gestured to Kyuhyun and Sungmin.
“Sungmin can explain better than I can,” Kyuhyun squeezed Sungmin’s hand lightly. Hesitantly and with many pauses and breaks in between, Sungmin explained what happened that night. Yunho listened carefully to the story, a thoughtful expression on his face as he looked at the two of them.
“Why would you be a target for a gang, Sungmin? Have you done anything to warrant the attack?” Yunho asked, starting to write down information on a piece of paper.
“Do you remember when you arrested Jiwon about five years ago?”
“Ah, him. Heechul told me about him. So he’s the reason this gang is after you? For revenge?”
“Most likely,” Sungmin nodded. Yunho nodded, writing intently.
“Alright, there are a few things we can do to help you. We can give you police protection, meaning we assign a few marshals to protect you. We can have you relocated to a new house in a new part of the city so it’s harder for them to find you or we can have you taken to a different country for a few years,” Yunho told them while filling out a report on the incident.
“What do you want to do, Minnie?” Kyuhyun asked, wanting it to be Sungmin’s decision. Eeteuk also looked to Sungmin.
“I don’t want to leave
“Alright, we’ll assign a few officers to protect you. It will simply be like having a security system. There will be around six of us to watch over you. Do you have enough rooms in your house to accommodate six people?” Yunho asked.
“We have more than enough room,” Kyuhyun answered for Sungmin who was starting to look tired.
“Okay. Once we assign police officers to the case, they’ll go to your house. We need your address and any phone numbers that you might have as well as any passwords into the house if you have any.” Yunho pushed a sheet of information across the desk for them to fill out. Once they had, Yunho took the sheet and walked them out of his office.
“Is there anything we can do while we wait?” Eeteuk asked.
“Try to keep a low profile and stay indoors at night. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” Yunho reassured them. Sungmin couldn’t help but feel that nothing would ever be fine again.
~₴~≠~₴~≠~
Yunho waved the group out of the building, telling Eeteuk to keep a close eye on them so they didn’t get into much trouble.
“What was that all about?” A voice asked from behind him. Yunho smiled at turned around to see Jaejoong standing behind him.
“A gang is after one of them. Do you remember when we picked up Chung Jiwon?” Yunho asked.
“Yeah, that was five years ago, right?” Jaejoong sat in one of the waiting chairs.
“Yes and the gang members we didn’t manage to get are now after those two. We’re going to give them police protection until the attacks stop. You and I might be part of those going to guard them. I can get you out of it, Jaejoong. I don’t want you to be hurt.”
“Yunho, this is my job. If I’m called to go, I’ll go. Don’t worry about me. As long as I’m with you, it’s fine,” Jaejoong smiled. Yunho smiled at him. Deep inside he was worried. He didn’t want Jaejoong to be hurt but whenever duty called, Jaejoong answered. It didn’t matter what it was but he did it diligently and better than anyone else. So why was he so worried about Jaejoong?
~₴~≠~₴~≠~
No comments:
Post a Comment