Brothers
Der Märchenclub
Chapter 36
[Brothers]
Kibum cracked an eye open.
If he could be a little bit of a dreamer, he would say that he had expected the nightmare to end. But who was he kidding? He was a realist, never a dreamer. He knew that the sight that would greet him the moment he opened his eyes would remain the same: that he was still in the Bluebeard Chamber, that Ryeowook would desperately look at him with life hanging on its thread –his thread–, that two guns were still aimed at his head, that he still had a life-and-death choice to make.
“You’re usually quick-witted, Kim Kibum. Never the hesitant type. So why the sudden change?” asked the Impossible. The gun was never lowered down.
His only hope lied in Heechul. Waiting in uncertainty was never an appealing idea for Kibum, but it was the only thing he could wish for at the moment. Well, in the mean time, he knew he could just stall the time a bit longer.
“I’m not that quick-witted. I’m actually always the cautious one,” Kibum said.
“Such a redeeming feature, Kibum-sshi,” uttered the Impossible.
“Of course, it’s always my valuable asset.”
“Indeed it is. But if you think you can prolong the death sentence with this pleasant chit-chat, then you’re wrong,” said the Impossible with a grin that almost looked truthful. Almost. “Tick tock tick tock. You still have a choice to make.”
Second strategy.
“A life and death choice, yeah,” agreed Kibum. “Honestly, it’s not something I encounter on a daily basis, so pardon the enthusiasm.”
The Impossible chuckled. “You’re quite a funny person.”
“Would you reward me for that?” Kibum said with a boyish smile.
The Impossible laughed more, when the partner remained silent. “For being an entertaining one, alright. What can I do for you?”
“Would you mind telling me your intention?” he asked like a curios child he was. “I’m sure you’ve done a background search of me. You must have known that I have interest in stuffs like this. I’m always interested in the way a criminal mind works.”
“He’s only trying to steal some time,” reminded the partner to the Impossible.
“I know. But it’s entertaining. So let him be,” said the Impossible pleasantly. “Intention? Nothing extraordinary, honestly. For example, in this instance, I’m merely curious with what your choice would be.”
“Ah, of course,” acknowledged Kibum, nodding his head. “That’s why you gave the choice to me and not to Ryeowook. You said you wanted to test the loyalty of the Kim. If you gave the gun and the choice to Ryeowook instead, Ryeowook would either have himself killed or have shot one of you rather than betraying me, his family. But I’m a different case.”
“Yes. I heard you’re quite a rebellious Kim. I just want to know whether your rebellion is only rumor or not.”
Kibum glanced down at the gun he had on his hand. His fingers were casually linked with the trigger as a nonchalant confession rolled out of his lips, “I wouldn’t hesitate to betray the Kim, you know.”
“But you will always have the hesitation to betray your own family, won’t you?” pressured the Impossible with another smile. “That’s why you’re trying to steal the time. You have doubts in killing your own cousin.”
Kibum chuckled. “And is it a wrong thing?”
“Not wrong. It just makes you a predictable subject. And I thought you are not that stereotypical.”
“You think too highly of me,” the genius said with a matching smile. “I’m just a normal being. But tell you what? I can propose you a better deal.”
The Impossible was amused, but the partner was not. “Kibum-sshi, enough. Kill Ryeowook-sshi. Or we will kill you instead.”
Kibum glanced at the gun on his hand again nd smirked secretively. In a gesture so casual, he then lifted his hand so that the mouth of the gun he was holding was aimed at his own temple. Ryeowook flinched and protest was about to be bombarded. The partner never let his guard down while the Impossible only chuckled again. Oh, it was an entertaining sight altogether.
“Ah, so you choose to end your life instead rather than to kill your own cousin? Pretty courageous. But too bad, it’ll be a waste to lose a person as brilliant as you.”
The smile never faltered from Kibum’s face. “Thank you for the compliment. And you know what? I also do not like to waste things. As you’ve said, I’m sure you will also find it unfortunate to waste a person like me.”
“That goes a little bit too far, that pride of yours,” laughed the Impossible.
“But you know it’s true,” pressured Kibum. “Whatever your plan is, I’m sure you won’t stop with only the Kim. You are planning for something bigger. Something that is not easy to achieve. And what? You’ve lost some of your most important subordinates, hmm? Leeteuk Hyung and that girl named Taeyeon? You’re low at resources now, aren’t you?”
The smiles on both Kibum’s and the Impossible’s faces widened.
“I think I know where this is going,” said the Impossible.
“And if I’m not mistaken, I think you love the way this is going,” added Kibum –the grin never left his expression.
The partner cleared his throat and reminded the Impossible for the umpteenth time. “Don’t let your guard down. He’s only trying to –”
But the Impossible instructed the partner to shut up. And being an obedient dog, the partner abode by it. “To make sure we’re on the same page, can you enlighten me with your proposal?”
Kibum nodded. “Make me a part of your team. I’ll help you reach your aim.”
The partner scrunched his nose in disagreement. The Impossible grinned. Kibum calmly smiled.
Ryeowook’s eyes widened. And after the quietness that he could no longer bear, after the agitation that had finally mounted up, Ryeowook demanded, “Hyung! Do you realize what you’re saying?! You are meddling with –“
Kibum ignored Ryeowook’s rant and boldly added his proposal to the other two subjects, “My involvement in your plan will surely benefit you. First, it will satisfy your curiosity as to the question whether I dare to betray my family. Secondly, you don’t have plenty of people left to control, so any addition will be helpful, eh? Thirdly, I will always be a great addition to your plan. There. It’s a much better deal, isn’t it?”
“Well –“
“Consider this as a substitute in my right in acclaiming my hint,” Kibum remarked. “Leeteuk Hyung died before giving me the hint that I am rightful of. Surely you can be that merciful, right?”
“You think we will believe that you’re willing to turn your back against the Kim that easily?”
Kibum lowered down his gun from his temple and played with it. “You know…in a partnership, especially in this kind of partnership, trust is never an absolute thing,” he declared. It was true, indeed. “You two may look like you trust each other, but that’s never really the case, isn’t it? Backstabbing happens everywhere, even within whatever organization you are in. Why can’t you risk another one? Even if I’m a risky addition, I will still be a valuable addition. The stake is high, but so is the benefit, don’t you think?”
The Impossible and the Partner were silenced. Kibum fought the urge to grin.
Tick tock, tick tock. Ah, Genius Boy, now you’re the one taking control of the time, aren’t you?
“The choice,” Kibum dramatically dragged. “…is now yours to make.”
The car reached Seoul Opera house, and Heechul stepped on the brake of the car abruptly, making Jessica’s body to lunge forward. Her forehead would have hit the dashboard, had it not been for her seatbelt. Though not injured, to say she was not irritated was indeed a lie. “Be careful next time! You nearly hurt me!” she screeched at Heechul.
Heechul looked at the passenger seat where Jessica was sitting at and gave her an uninterested look. “Well, taking care of your well being is never part of my job description. You should blame your incompetent bodyguard instead.”
Hankyung might have been a reliable bodyguard, but unfortunately, he was never someone good at retorting, with his reserved characteristic and such. Being in the car with Heechul for the 15 minutes ride of hell had made Hankyung realized that it was pointless to argue with the oldest Kim heir. Hankyung would not waste his time for trivial matters like this. Thus, he focused at his mistress instead. “Miss, you cannot risk yourself like this.’
“That is why I’m hiring you as my bodyguard, isn’t it? You have to make sure any risk won’t harm me,” replied Jessica as she gazed at the slammed door of the driver’s seat. The Kim heir already made his way out the car as he marched towards the steps of the Seoul Opera House. Under different situation, she would probably mutter something bad about Kim Heechul’s lack of care and all the related attachments to his trait. But understanding the gravity of the matter, Jessica quickly unbuckled her safety belt and followed Heechul’s suit.
“Fine,” stated the Impossible. “I’ll give your proposal a try, Kibum-sshi. Consider yourself on probation. Follow us.”
Kibum nodded.
The Partner approached Kibum and forcefully grabbed the gun from Kibum’s grasp. Without a word, he then turned around and followed the Impossible walk away. Kibum relaxed his muscle. Without hesitation, he also trailed the steps of the Impossible and the Partner. So far, so smooth. Kibum knew he had big issues to think in the future, but at least for the time being
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