Jooheon’s POV
I grabbed the stolen gun out of my draw, and shoved it into my waistband, pulling my shirt down over it so it would remain unseen. I gulped down some water, and I heard my door open. I twitched towards the gun behind my back, but relaxed as I saw a familiar face.

“Jooheonnieeee!”

“What, Wonho?” I grumbled. I didn’t look at him, as I slid a spare gun into a duffel bag filled with smoke bombs, gasoline, and a blowtorch. Not a great combination to put in one bag, but when did safety ever really matter.

“Aren’t you excited kiddo? You don’t look very excited… Well, I’m excited if that’s any consolation! Oh, and--“

“Can you ever hold a normal conversation?” I sighed, swinging the bag over my back.

“You’re no fun,” Wonho muttered, wagging his finger at me.

I followed him out of the door and we took our seats in the van, joining the others. “We all set?” I asked everyone. There were nods all around, but no replies. Hyungwon, Kihyun and Minhyuk started to load their own guns, while Shownu was driving us to Insoo’s house. I stared blankly at the road outside the window.

“Can you check that I loaded this up properly?”

I turned around and saw Jisung passing a gun over to Hyungwon. “When did you get that gun?” I asked.

“…Just now,” She shrugged.

I leant forward to take it off her, when Wonho held me back. “Let her have it! I gave it to her for safety!” Wonho huffed and I scoffed.

“As long as you don’t shoot one of us,” I warned. She stuck her tongue out at me. I shook my head and decided to give up on resisting. Getting through Jisung’s stubborn mentality was one thing, but I knew for sure I wouldn’t be able to get through Wonho’s as well. Maybe it was better for her to have a weapon than nothing.

“We’re here,” Shownu turned to face us in the back after pulling up on the side of the road next to Insoo’s house. I gulped and grasped the bag strap tighter. This was it.

Changkyun’s POV
I was sat in my room again, my window wide open. I watched the clock stuck on the wall opposite me and waited. Only a few more seconds and it would begin. I stood up and dashed to my window.

I peered over the edge to make sure they wouldn’t see me. I could see Minhyuk and Kihyun dousing the edges of the house in gasoline already. I sighed upon seeing Jisung crouching down behind the front gate with a gun in her hands. I searched for Shownu, so I could be ready, and I finally spotted him in the shadows of our neighbour’s house. Jooheon and Hyungwon were either side of him, scouting out the closest streets.

Jooheon pulled out a blowtorch, and Hyungwon had a pack of matches. They hopped over the fence easily and lit the base of the house on fire. I gulped and prayed that my father hadn’t seen them yet, or noticed the slow burning spreading through the house.

Shownu nodded at me and I opened my window a little wider. He threw up two canisters, one after the other. I caught the first, but missed the second. It began to hiss and spin around on the floor. I tried to stay calm, but panicked as I heard my father call up to me, “What’s that noise, Changkyun?”

I kicked the can down the stairs, unaware of the contents, and caught a glimpse of my father on his way up. “What the fu--?”

That’s all I heard before the bang and the yells that followed. I coughed as I was thrown back slightly, smoke everywhere. I scrambled up to my feet and held onto the other canister as he yelled my name, enraged. I could hear him making his way up the stairs, but I couldn’t see him. I opened the second canister with shaky hands, and it was filled to the brim with a dark substance, which must’ve been petrol or some sort of flammable liquid.

I knew was that he was still coming for me, so I hastily made my way into the bathroom, the furthest away from the stairway, while pouring the liquid behind me. The smoke was no longer coming from the first canister I threw, but from the fire set on the floor below.

I stood on top of the toilet seat to reach the window, and struggled to open it. I wiped my sweaty hands on my shirt and tried again. The door flung open, and before I could turn around, he yanked my legs, and I smacked my face on the side of the sink on the way down to the floor. I clutched my head and tried to get up.

“I knew this would happen,” He coughed, wiping his brow. He pinned me down, his hands wrapped around my throat too tightly for comfort. He meant it this time.

“You little er and your ing friends,” He growled.

I kicked at him and scratched his arms, and even spat in his face. “Go yourself,” I managed to say, as his grip momentarily faltered.

“Ha! That’s funny! Almost as hilarious as trying to burn me down!” He cackled, holding my neck forcefully.

“Appa,” I gasped.

“DON’T CALL ME THAT,” He bellowed, shaking me. He moved his foot and stood on my neck as he the tap of the sink above me. Tears pooled in my eyes as I could hear the flames outside the room with screams from outside the house.

“Do you know why I hate you so much, huh?! ANSWER ME!"

"No, I don't," I spluttered.

"Your mother,” He dragged me up to my knees and shoved my head into the water. My forehead hit the bottom of the sink, and tried to get rid of the blackness that threatened to invade my vision. I pulled back and thrashed around, as I choked for air. I could hear him sobbing but his grip remained strong and persistent. “Your own mother,” He muttered again.

And then the realisation hit. My tears mixed with the tap water as I twisted my head to one side. I took in a slither of air. I missed my mother just as much as he did, and he knew very well that it wasn’t me who caused her to commit suicide. She was depressed, alone, and isolated. It was never going to be a good combination. Guilt told me otherwise though. I should have tried more to help her get away from appa. We both needed to blame each other for her suicide. 

“I-It wasn't my fault, it was yours,” That’s what I repeated with every breath I could get. "You're the one who kept her in the house like it was some kind of prison!!" I yelled.

 "YOU SELFISH BASTARD, DON'T PIN IT ON ME,"

He strengthened his grip on my neck so much that I could feel his fingernails digging into my skin. Moments passed like hours, and I was unable to move anymore. I closed my eyes, stopped resisting and let go.

Jisung’s POV
“Changkyun’s in the house?! Why didn’t you tell me!?” I yelled at Shownu, shoving him backwards.

“You would’ve just gone in after him!”

“We need to get him out of there,” I murmured, ignoring Shownu completely. He returned the favour. “Did you ing hear me? We need to get him out!!” I continued to shout. I began to panic as the fire rose up even higher. I made a move towards the house, but Shownu held me back. I managed to shake him off, but Jooheon stopped me again. Together they had me cornered. “Please, he’ll die…” I pleaded while my sight blurred.

“You don’t understand Jisung, he knew this was going to happen,” Shownu muttered.

“WHAT!?? And you let him go through with it?!” I screamed at the two of them. “I’m calling the fire station,” I told them, twisting out of their grip and pulling out my phone.

I sat in front of the house, staring hopefully up at Changkyun’s bedroom window, which was wide open. I wished for him to just appear there, and I would run over, and he would jump down, and he’d be safe. Except it wasn’t happening. I sniffed and refused to cry just yet. He could take care of himself. The longer it took for the firemen to arrive, the more I fidgeted, and the more I bit my nails nervously.

I jumped up as soon as they arrived, and rushed over to them. “My friend is in there,” I told them, and they reassured me that they’d save him. I gulped and stood back as some hosed down the building, while others entered the burning house.

And then I was back to waiting, watching the flames die down from further away this time after being pushed back by the firemen. I didn’t care about my health or safety anymore; just his.

I was sat next to Hyungwon, who squeezed my hand, in an attempt to relieve my worrying. I nodded to him in thanks, and we conversed in silence like that for a few minutes. I broke away from him as soon as the first stretcher was brought through the door. I raced over, and balled my fists when I saw Insoo laying there, his heartbeat steady, eyes open. I glanced over my shoulder to Jooheon, who was talking to some authorities that had arrived not long after the firemen. I had no idea what he would do if he saw this man still breathing.

With no more hesitation, I took a deep breath and ran into the house, people shouting after me instantly. There were no more flames, and a little smoke whirling around. The house with cream walls now had black ones. I sprinted up the stairs, tripping carelessly on the top step. “CHANGKYUN!” I yelled, hoping for some response.

I checked his room - empty. I searched each room upstairs, and began to question whether he was in the house at all. Sighing, I twisted the handle of the bathroom, the last room left.

When I saw him, it felt like I had been punched in the stomach. All the air left my lungs, and my gaze dropped to the ground as I fought to breathe again. I leaned against the bathroom wall for support, burying my face in my hands as my whole body shuddered. “No, no, no,” I muttered. My brain throbbed behind my skull, and I felt unbelievable pain. I didn’t want to believe it. Tears leaked through my fingertips, and I looked again.

I stumbled over to his motionless body, and knelt down beside him. I covered my mouth with one of my hands, and turned him over with my other so I could see his face. My vision clouded with tears again. I couldn’t see Changkyun anymore; I only saw my own tears in my eyes. I wished that it was the only thing that existed. When my vision cleared, I didn’t want to see Changkyun on the ground, but I knew that it was what I’d see. I wiped my eyes, only to see the scene that I didn’t want to see. Changkyun’s face was bloodied and ruined. His lips were pursed together in a slight frown, and his eyelashes rested on the very top of his cheeks, but a gash resided on his cheekbones, blood stained his lips, his eyelids were bruised a dark purple, and the rest of his skin was deathly pale.

I shook him by the shoulders, my tears landing on his face. I held him up to me, and pushed his hair away lightly so I could check his pulse. I didn’t want to press too hard because of the bruise around his neck, but I couldn’t find a heartbeat, so I had to. I kept checking, and held him tighter each time. Memories of Tem’s body lingered in my mind, and it felt like I was suffocating.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered through sobs. I placed him back down and strode out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. As I staggered down the uneven stairs, I took out my pistol and slipped a magazine inside it.

Jooheon was the first to reach me, and I held the gun behind my back. “Changkyun’s dead,” I breathed, relaying the news. Jooheon’s expression turned numb and blank. He stepped back and blinked in shock, his mouth agape.

I pushed past him, and I had already decided on what I was going to do. I jogged up to Insoo on the stretcher and loaded my gun. I held it in the firing-ready position, one steady hand over one shaky one, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot cracked into the air as loud as thunder, but without the raw power of a storm. I was tackled down as I shot, and he was dead before the gunshot reached my ears. I couldn’t even tell who pushed me to the ground first. It could have been either Jooheon or an officer.

Shouts and yells merged into one around me, but the only thing that stood out was Jooheon clutching Wonho and almost screaming, "Hyung! Why did you have to give her that gun?!"

Yet another tear slid down my face as I was dragged away, handcuffed forcefully, and shoved into a police car.

A/N:
This chapter was pretty dramatic, but I still hope you liked it <3
There will only be a few more chapters left!!
Thank you for reading! :)