A/N - Umpf, so yes, i shot Doongie (indirectly), but well...otherwise it wouldn't make this chapter half as emotional. Or the next one~ Kekeke, this two were a lot of fun to write so enjoy them!!!

@ImaVIPbaby - Haha, get in line for the people who hate me for shooting Doongie ^^ It's a long queue mind you~ And woot for more faces~~~ I don't know where half of these symbols come from!!! And i laughed hard at your last line. Am i updating TOO often??? ^^ Jokes~

@thunbii - Nope, Doongie's not going to die...because otherwise the story would kinda just end there... As for your other questions, well Joon's girlfriend will be revealed in a few chapters time but Mir never had a past love. His bitterness comes from watching Hyo Jin and G.O's relationship crumble, hence he's a little wary of love. If you have any more questions, just ask~~~ It might reveal plotholes i missed out and such >< But thanks!

@HanSang - Ah, my brilliant, detective dongsaeng who always sees what i have missed. What would i do without you. I promise to cover the plothole i missed and this time i've got a late update, so i expect an early comment from you! Lolz. Haha and yup, totally like the it's war MV isn't it but yeah, no magic bullets that somehow have a life of their own... Good, good, get more sleep!!! Or else i'll withhold my update till you do~~~

@ainnurdoongie - Of course i'm totally playing with your mind unnie! And yes, i shot him. One nice lil bullet served on a silver platter. 

@T4kara - Kekeke, this is revenge for you not updating. More cliffies for the next few chapters~~~ Here's the update for today...but um you might hate me even more at the end of this one :D

@wookielove - *hugs* I don't know if i should be happy that you're in tears, but this chapter should prove to be even more emotional!!! Not gonna answer the last question coz you'll find out soon!!!!

@secretmbleast - Waah~~~ Thanks so much for the love! Hope you enjoy the new chapter~

And yes, THANK YOU to secretmbleast for subscribing!!!

Chapter 43 – Through Thunder and Lightning, he lies amongst blood, sweat and tears 

G.O POV

My first instinct was to run to Sanghyun.

My second, and perhaps the more logical one, was to punch the living lights out of Go Ji Young.

I mean, logically speaking, there was nothing I could do to help Sanghyun. Plus, I owed Sanghyun one and let’s just say that rendering Go Ji Young unconscious for the next five minutes would help everyone out.

So ignoring every other rational reasoning for me to not do so, I put my brain into the backseat and let my hands to the talking.

I spun around so fast the world blurred around me and then my feet carried me the meters that separated us and my hand connected with Go Ji Young’s face. With a satisfying crunch, the Syndicate leader flew several feet backwards, landing heavily on the gritty tarmac and blood gushed from his nose which from where I was standing looked pretty broken. Despite the excruciating pain in my knuckles, I grinned like a madman.

“That was satisfying.” I huffed, a wide smile curved on my face. 

Then I turned back to Sanghyun, overlooking the way Go Ji Young’s three thugs flew to his side, panicking like five-year olds who had just broken their mother’s favorite crockery.

However my glee faded as I saw Sanghyun properly. He was pale, far too pale, and completely limp in Dara’s arms.

“Sanghyun!” I cried, falling to my knees next to him. Seungho quickly ped his grey hoodie, revealing a stark white jumper underneath. Blood blossomed right above his right ribs, soaking more material at a shockingly fast rate. I felt my mouth dry up instantly.

“Call an ambulance.” I ordered Mir who was fluttering about, worried about his hyung but too scared to come closer. “NOW!” I yelled when he froze.

Mir nodded quickly and snatched out his phone, dialing a number furiously as if his life depended on it. Scratch that, more like Sanghyun’s life depended on it.

“We have to stop the bleeding.” Chae-rin slid in next to Dara. Joon silently slid off his outer hoodie and handed it to Chae-rin. She nodded in thanks and quickly pressed it to the spot above Sanghyun’s wound.

He groaned and opened his eyes. “Noo…na…” he moaned as Chae-rin pressed down lightly on his wound, trying to stop the flow of blood that for some reason just kept leaking out.

I bit my lip and tried not to throw up at the sight of all that crimson and scarlet.

“Sanghyun.” Dara touched his cheek, trying to get his eyes to focus on her. They were glazed in pain and confusion. “Can you hear me, Sanghyun?!”

“Noona.” he said but suddenly coughs wracked his body, forcing him to stop and heave for breath.

“Shhh,” Dara patted his back. “Speak slowly.”

“Noona.” He said in a clearer voice. “Sorry for causing…more…problems…”

“Shush.” Dara kissed his forehead, ignoring the sweat and blood and tears. “Shhh, you’re my baby brother. You will always be a problematic little kid to me, but that’s what all noonas sign up for.” She grinned, though I could see the shadow of fear behind her smile.

“Just stay with us.” Joon begged Sanghyun, kneeling down next to us and clenching his fist. “Just stay awake, keep talking to us.”

But Sanghyun frowned, his lips stained cherry red with blood. “No, hyung…Seungho-hyung.” He called out to Seungho who immediately knelt down even closer. “Listen to me.”

“What is it Sanghyun?” Seungho whispered, his voice fragile and hushed like the wings of a butterfly about to take flight.

Sanghyun didn’t respond. Instead he reached up with one trembling hand and pulled out his necklace. It was one I had never seen before. Actually it shocked me because Sanghyun was never really a necklace guy. Nor a ring guy. He was more into bracelets and hats.

But this necklace was a combination of the two. On a leather rope lay a beautiful silver ring that contrasted sharply with the battered, bloodied surface of Sanghyun’s palm.

Sanghyun coughed and tugged at his necklace, strong enough for the material to part and the necklace to fall free of his neck.

“Hyung.” He held it out to Seungho. “For you.”

Seungho POV

I stared at the ring that somehow glittered under the dark night sky.

“What is this Sanghyun?” I couldn’t help but ask. I didn’t dare to touch the sparkling jewel in Sanghyun’s hands, fearful of what it might mean. Like finding a fifty dollar note on the floor and hardly believing it was yours, or like dating Dara and every second wondering if it was all a dream. All too good to be true.

Sanghyun gave a rough, raspy laugh. “What do you think it is hyung.” He chuckled. “Take it.”

I did so gingerly, picking up the ring as if it was a precious lifeline.

It was beautiful. Classically beautiful with sleek silver curves and ropes of gold wrapped around the centre of it in which a sparkling diamond lay, nestled. I could only hold my breath at its beauty.

“Sanghyun…is this…” I had to ask. For confirmation.

“Of course it is.” Sanghyun whispered. “It was our mother’s ring.” He explained, drawing a breath of surprise from Dara. “She gave it to me a long time ago, years after our father left us. She told me…to give it to the man who I could entrust Dara to. The man…” he looked at me with dark eyes that drew me in. “The man who I knew Dara would be happy to live the rest of her life with.”

I in a deep breath. Sanghyun was really trusting me with this?

Of course I knew Sanghyun had accepted our relationship a long time ago, but even then I could tell there was an edge, a certain lack of faith tainting the full honesty in his tone. But now, right here and right now, with the ring nestled like a precious baby bird in my palm, I knew he had come to terms with it. He was willing to give his precious sister away and it was to me. 

“So hyung.” His voice grew weaker and his eyes slid close. “You better take care of her.”

“Sanghyun?!” My voice grew pitch sharp and I gripped the ring against my heart as I leaned forwards to see Sanghyun’s breath grow weaker. “Sanghyun!?!”

“Sanghyun!!!” Everyone started screaming with worry as all of a sudden, he seemed to stop breathing. “NO!!!” a fierce roar tore out of me. I stood up, ready to pick Sanghyun up and carry him all the way to the nearest hospital if need be.

But then my plans were interrupted as suddenly the world exploded in an eruption of fire and we were all thrown backwards.

​A/N - If anyone wants to know what the ring looks like, click here. Another cliffie i know >< Sanghyunnie never seems to get a break, huh. But bear with it. Good things will come at the end of this all!!!

For now, enjoy