SEVENTEEN

“...the feeling of losing someone.”

 

She's over there.

 

Standing straight with a gun pointed directly at her student.
 

 At Joy.
 

Seulgi.
 

Some of Joy's fears faded, replaced by pity and unspeakable pain.
 

For Seulgi who looked at her the way she was.
 

The same way when they were at that amusement park.
 

A look that Joy had never been able to define before, although now she finally understood.

 

That look, was a desire. A desire to forcefully take something away.

 

The desire to kill.

 

With her as the prey.

 

The prey that foolishly still willing to accept everything that’d happen.

 

The prey that naively still had her feelings buried deep.

 

Clack!

 

Seulgi cocked her gun.

 

“NO!”
 

They turned around.
 

That voice...
 

Park Jaehwa,

 

Mr. Park.

 

Her father.

 

Followed by Wendy and two people she’d realized later on, Yeri and,

 

That Hyun?

 

“No, please don’t. We can talk it out.” Mr. Park was already on his knees, begging. “She's my everything, she’s my light. I beg you, please forgive me.”

 

The words angered Seulgi,

 

“Your light!? you!” Seulgi scoffed, “...what about mine you'd densely snatched away years ago, huh!? What about my light!?”

___
 

“Princess...”

 

Little Seulgi turned around, instantly giving out her smile.

 

“...here, Daddy bought your favorite.”

 

Her father.

 

Her dearly dear father brought a waffle with chocolate ice cream on top.

 

As a gift for helping him selling toys today. The wooden-guns she loved.

 

Seulgi started spooning her favorite ice cream.

 

Her favorite that she rarely had, cause they’re poor.

 

The money from selling toys only enough to feed themselves once a day, sometimes, her father didn’t even eat at all just to get her food. So that his daughter wouldn’t starve.

 

But today was different.

 

All of their toys were nearly sold out, making a smile on her father’s face beamed. Seulgi was happy to see his smile. The smile that made his eyes disappeared.

A gentle smile, a kind smile.

 

Yes, her father was the kindest.

 

Seulgi’s happy every time she saw him smiling.

 

She spooned the ice cream again. Her father would be happy to see her eat deliciously.

 

“Is it that good?” Mr. Kang asked.

 

“It's sooooo good, Dad!”

 

Seulgi smiled, totally ignoring her teeth and mouth that splattered with chocolate. Mr. Kang laughed at how cute his daughter was.

 

“Eat slowly, Princess. The chocolate is covering your pretty face.”

 

He softly wiped away the chocolate on her face, still with his typical smile, full of kindness.

 

Seulgi’s smile got widened. Grateful that even though they’re poor, they still felt rich with everything they had. Even though they’re poor, they still felt enough.

 

But again, today was a different day.

 

As Seulgi about to scoop up her ice cream for the nth time, a deafening sound was heard in a distance. It seemed to be coming from a big road next to the alley where they were now. The siren sound that Seulgi didn’t like for it to be very disturbing.

 

She covered her ears, almost dropping her ice cream if not for her father to save it.

 

“It’s so noisy!”

 

“It's all right, Princess.” Mr. Kang’s smile remained. “…it’ll be over, soon.”

 

Seulgi nodded, she trusted her father. Her father was always right.

 

However, today was a completely different day.

 

She doubted him.

 

For when the siren had stopped, they heard shouting from a distance.

 

The screaming voice echoed closer to them.

 

Seulgi looked back, instantly went behind her father's back, frightened.

 

When she saw a man in a black leather-jacket running toward them with a gun in his hand.

 

A real gun.

 

Approaching them in no time and occasionally looking at his back,

 

To where another man was loudly chasing him.

 

Little Seulgi closed her eyes as tightly as she could, she’s scared.

 

All she could do was holding her father's hand tightly. The warmth he always gave somehow managed to calm her down.

 

But it vanished abruptly as that hand slipped out from her grip.

 

The shock had her eyes wide open.

 

As that man in that black leather-jacket pulled her father from behind, aiming the gun to his head.

 

Seulgi sobbed.

 

“Dad.. D-dad.. Dad, please dad...”

 

Her cry was painfully piercing, annoyed the man.

 

“Shut up you piece of !” He shoved his gun even closer. “Shut up!”

 

But Seulgi's cry seemed to have its own will for she couldn’t stop crying. Much irritating to the man

 

“SHUT UP!”

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

A bullet shot through the air.

 

Seulgi’s cry stopped in an instant. Her wet cheeks were trembling in fear.

 

“Shhh, it's okay, Princess. Everything's gonna be just fine. We'll eat ice cream together later, okay?”

 

The warm smile soothed Seulgi's fear. Still sobbing, she replied,

 

“O-hngh-o, okay.”

 

“Oh, how sweet!” The man tightened his grip. Mocking what Seulgi's dad just said, “I want ice cream too, Daddy!” He emphasized his voice at the last word, still with the same taunts.

 

“Cut it out, Bin! This area is going to be blockaded you will not get away again this time!” Mr. Park said flatly with extreme intimidation in his voice.
 

In which didn’t even make that man called Bin frightened.

 

“Can’t you see what I got here?” with his insulting face, Bin pressed the gun onto Mr. Kang’s temple, getting him pushed aside. “If you're still acting so ty with that ing arrogance of yours, This. Man. Will. Die! “

 

“No!”

 

“SHUT UP!”

 

His aim switched over to Seulgi who was about to move forward. She halted and instantly regretted it. Disappointed at the fact that she’s not as brave as she thought she was.

 

“Hey, Princess. It's okay.” The warmth was still spreading through his smile.

 

Although now that warmth didn’t seem to reach her daughter as she shook her head and cried, “No Dad, no.”

 

“You do know that's not gonna work for me, don’t you?” Mr. Park’s brow lifted. His hands were ready to load his gun. “This place is blocked. Dare to pull that trigger and all my guys will slam your face in no time.” Keeping his dull face, Mr. Park aimed his gun at that man.

 

That Bin just scoffed,

 

“Exceptionally confident as usual.” Bin spat, “...and you also know that's not gonna work for me either, right?”

 

With burning gaze, the black-jacketed man shouted,

 

“TRY ME!”

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Another gunshot.

This time was from Mr. Park.

 

But he missed it.

 

Bin managed to avoid it,  just scratching his right cheek. The man wiped his bleeding cheek with thumb before it.

 

“Yum.” Just one word. One word before his face changed.

 

He went insane.

His crazy eyes said it all.

 

His hand choked Mr. Kang by the neck. Mr. Kang was being dragged in reverse with the tip of the gun jabbed at the corner of his ear.

 

Engine sound roared from behind them. Getting louder and louder.

 

“Big. Mistake.”

 

In a blow, the man yanked Mr. Kang to the ground –back first. In a blow, he was being slammed. The sound of bone-cracking was echoing through the alley.

 

In a blow,

 

The third shot bombed out.

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Damp earth flushed red in no time. Spread in river-y circle that surrounding the warm-hearted man.

 

His warmth that began to fade.

 

“DAAAAAAD!”

 

Seulgi crawled to him. She took him into her arms. The painful scream that came out from her tiny lips echoed through the alley. She clutched her father's hand firmly, the hand that usually sent peace. Seulgi briefly looked at her dad,

 

For that hand that moved,

 

“P-Pr-Princess... I-it's oka-”

 

His voice died out.

 

“Hahahahaha!”

 

Devilish laugh from the black-jacketed man mocking a crying lamb. Along with the engine sound that stopped right behind him. Another man with motorbike told Bin to get on.

 

“You think only you who’ve got your own ‘guys’?”

 

With a gun aimed at sobbing Seulgi, he got on,

 

“Nice game. I have faith we’d meet again some other time...” Satanic smile appeared on his face, “…Jaehwa.”

 

With a tap on a shoulder, that bike raced brutally. Leaving Mr. Pa