Seungho’s POV

I looked around the area. If I want to escape, I need my hands and legs, but they were tied up. I stretched my fingers, in hope to tug off the knot or something like that, but I could not reach it. As I continued trying, I looked around for something sharp.

I spotted a piece of broken glass lying somewhere near the other corner. Gliding towards it would take awhile, so I rolled instead. I was a little dizzy when I reached where I wanted to be at, but I had no time to stop. I was racing against time. If he came back, I would not even stand a chance.

I picked up the piece of glass and clutched it tightly in my hands as if my life depended on it. But come to think of it, my life does depend on this piece of glass now. I bit my lower lip as I endured the pain from the glass cutting into my palm as I tried to cut the rope.

“Come on~” I muttered anxiously.

The rope did not seem to be breaking, but instead it felt like I have been cutting myself all the time.

“Please~ Damn it.” I held onto the glass tighter, cutting deeper.

After much battle with the stupid rope, it finally broke off. I did not even want to look at my palms. I know how bloody it must be judging from the pain. I could not be bothered to feel sorry for myself. I untied the ropes from my legs and forced my wobbly legs to stand up.

I leaned against the wall, regaining my posture before I started running towards the door. I was that close to freedom. But as I expected, the door was locked. I pushed the door a little just to see what was holding the door close. From the small gap, I could see metal chains.

It was all too simple, wasn’t it? The glass piece lying around, him not locking me in that box. He knew I would escape, or rather, he made me think I could escape. He made it simple for me, and when I thought I would succeed, he locked the door with a metal chain.

“!” I cursed, kicking the door hard.

‘Yang Seungho, you’re that close to freedom. Use a little bit of your brain!’ I thought to myself.

I looked around the place, searching for something perhaps to knock the chains apart. Anything can be a weapon, anything can be a tool. I picked up random objects to try like the broken wood, glass bits, I even dumbly tried to use my shoe.

Thanks to the lack of food and water, I was tired out quickly. I collapsed onto the ground, looking at the so-called tools I used to attempt break open the metal chain. I pulled my hair but regretted instantly when I felt pain. It must have been the stool he threw against my head just now.

“Why can’t you just open on your own!? Break off or something!” I shouted at the door, throwing a piece of broken wood against it.

“OPEN, YOU STUPID ! OPEN!!!” I kicked the door in anger, ignoring the aching pain all over my body.

“ING LET ME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! UGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!” I punched the door hard.

I stared at the metal chain. There was definitely a way to break it, no?

I took off my singlet, tore it apart so it would be long enough. I rolled it up and tried to slot one of part of it into the gap, over the metal chain. After succeeding, I pulled the cloth back in with my pinky.

My singlet was now over one part of the chain. If I could tug hard enough and perhaps break the door handles, there is a chance for the chains to fall out, right? It sounded like a stupid plan. But I had to try everything. I just hope that my singlet does not tear into half even before I could start tugging.

I pressed my feet against the door for support as I tugged hard. I wrapped the singlet around my palms, pulling hard. I have no idea how long I tugged for but it was not working, instead, my hands were bloodier than before, I lost a lot of energy and the cloth tore eventually.

“DAMN IT!” I slammed my body against the door.

I know I should not be losing hope so quickly, but I could not help it. It was just… hopeless. My eyes widened when I heard the metal chains clanging against each other. I could push him and run, right? As the door opened, I was all ready to run, but I stopped when I had a knife pointing at my throat.

“That was quite a show you put up there.” He said, the tip of the knife poking my throat.

“By far, you’re the smartest of all. You bother to use your brain. But still, tsk tsk~” He mocked.

He kicked the door shut, walking closer, forcing me back into the room.

“I can leave the door open, but whether you can run or not, it’s another story altogether.” He said, gesturing the door.

I stared at him. I bite down on my jaw. He had a knife pointing at my throat. If I move, he could just stab me. If I stood still, he could stab me too. So I chose to run.

“Stupid move.” He said, slashing the knife across my arm.

“Very, very stupid.” He said, squeezing the open wound on my arm.

I squeezed my eyes shut to endure the pain. I was not going to yell.

“Very painful?” He laughed.

“I told you to be good, didn’t I?” He said, squeezing harder.

“Shout, it’ll make it more bearable.” He said.

I glared at him.

“So stubborn, so very stubborn.” He said.

“What do you want!?” I yelled.

“I want you to taste failure, that’s all.” He said.

“I gave you a little life lesson back there just now, you know. How does failure taste like? Very bitter, right? Your escaping procedures were done right. You endured the pain to cut off the rope. And just as you thought you were that close to freedom. BAM! You’re wrong. So very wrong. Life is not always sweet. You don’t always reap what you sow.” He said.

“Who the hell are you!?” I shouted.

“Me? Well, let’s just say I am someone who despise people like you who shot to fame and think they are everything.” He said.

“I did not shoot to fame.” I hissed.

“Really?” He laughed.

His expression darkened.

“Really?” He asked again.

“We worked our way up, mind you.” I said.

“Worked!?” He laughed.

“Worked!? You sure!? I WORKED! BUT I GOT NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL! WHY!?” He kicked me in my stomach, sending me flying to the other side.

“I worked hard too, you know! But why am I not recognized!? Why am I being treated like some freak! Why!?” He kicked me endlessly.

I could not fight back, I could only brace myself for it.

“People like you, born in a silver spoon, what do you know about working!? What do you know about hard work!? What do you know about failure!? Nothing!” He yelled, kicking my head.

I coughed out blood, but I could not faint now. I managed to grab his leg and cause him to fall.

“IDIOT!” He kicked me in my nose.

“You’re…. just jealous.” I purposely angered him.

“Jealous!? Me!? Of people like you!? HAHAHA!” He laughed.

“We ing… worked our way… up.” I mumbled as I tried to shake some sense into my dizzy head.

“You did not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” He shouted, grabbing my neck.

“You did not! You did not! You shot to fame!” He insisted as he strangled me.

Perhaps he forgot my hands were free. I grabbed his body, pinching and grabbing him. He cursed and punched me in my ribs.

“YOU ARE A JEALOUS !” I head butted him.

“NO! IT’S YOU GUYS WHO THINK YOU’RE ALMIGHTY!” He punched me.

We were punching and kicking each other. I was on the losing end, of course, after all the blows he gave me before that. But I guess my anger turned into energy.

“How dare you say we shoot to fame when you know nuts about what we went through!? How dare you!” I pulled his hair, scratching his face.

“Cocky bastards!” He kicked me in my stomach.

“Jealous !” I yelled back, punching him in his eye.

I guess I knew what kind of person he was. He must have been through a lot of failures in his life to be so angry.

“Instead of trying to kill people who are successful, might as well reflect on your failures!” I yelled.

“I DID NOT FAIL! IT IS THE WORLD WHO FAILED ME!!!” He shouted.

“YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING WRONG!!” I shouted in his face, pointing at him.

“DO NOT POINT AT ME LIKE THAT! DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO!” He grabbed my finger, twisting hard.

I heard a snap and then I could not even feel anything at all. I think he broke my finger.

“Hating on successful people would not make you a successful person. You’ll just continue to fail for the rest of your ing life!” I continued to agitate him.

“SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!” He seemed to have lost control of himself.

He was pulling his hair and screaming.

“Who does not fail in life!? Who is successful the moment they were born!? Just because you don’t make it does not give you the rights to be so angry at the world! It does not give you the rights to ruin others!” I yelled.

As I shouted at him, I was slowly making my way towards the door. He kept yelling at me to shut up, but I did not.

“YOU’RE A FAILURE BECAUSE YOU ALLOWED YOURSELF TO BECOME ONE! AND YOU’RE GOING TO FAIL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IF YOU DON’T REALIZE THAT!” I shouted.

Uh oh, I think I snapped him.

He looked up at me, eyes raging.

“Repeat that again.” He said dangerously.

“Repeat that again, I say.” He said, waving a knife in my face.

“You’re a failure because you allowed yourself to become one, and you’re going fail for the rest of your life if you don’t realize that!” I repeated.

“And you will wish you were born mute.” He said.

Before I could dodge his knife, he slashed me across my lips.

“You’re very outspoken. But you used your talent in the wrong way.” He said, stabbing the knife into my thigh.

I could not even shout because of the cut on my lips.

“I’m a failure because I allowed myself to become one?” He said, twisting the knife deep into my thighs.

“You don’t know much I tried! How dare you say such things! Just because I am a little slow, I am cast out right away!” He shouted, pushing me onto the ground.

“I allowed myself to become a failure? Really?” He leaned in close to me.

“I did my best at everything! I put in double the effort at everything! But why is it that I still fail!? Why is it that others always gain credit for the things I do as if it was only normal!? Why!?” He shouted.

“Just because people like you are born smart, you think you can ride on others as if they are slaves!? HUH!?” He stepped on my wounded thigh.

I cried in pain, but it seems to amuse him more.

“Remember, it is people like you who land yourself in such a state today. If you weren’t so cocky, if you weren’t so full of yourself, perhaps you would be alive.” He said.

I passed out even before I could say anything.

When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was darkness and all I felt was pain. I was in a standing position in something that seems like a cardboard box. I started panicking.

“LET ME OUT!!!!” I shouted.

I could not move my arms. I could only move my good leg, which did not have much energy left too. I ended up kicking weakly. I jumped when someone slam onto the box, causing it to shake a little

“You’re up.” He said.

“LET ME OUT!!” I shouted.

“Let’s play a little game, shall we?” He said.

“Simple rules. Last chance for you to be a good boy and perhaps I would change my mind in sparing your life.” He said.

“What!?” I yelled.

“Simple. Dodge, and if you succeed, you win.” He said.

“Dodge what!?” I yelled.

“This.” He said.

I could hear him load something like a gun.

“NO! NO! NO!!!” I yelled, but was ignored.

I gasped when he fired. The bullet did not hit me, obviously. I don’t know where it hit, but it was very, very close.

“Playing? Or die now? Your choice.” He said.

Either way, I was going to die, either by the bullets, or by suffocation. But how could I dodge his bullets when I am inside the box? I could not even see my own fingers to start with.

“So?” He asked, knocking the box impatiently.

“You’re crazy!” I yelled.

“Yes I am. Let’s see… I have twenty bullets. You have twenty chances! Wow! Aren’t I nice!?” He said, sounding a little too happy.

“Let’s start.” His voice changed.

I shut my eyes. I could feel myself trembling. I would need a miracle to survive this one, but miracles do not come so often.

I jumped when I heard him fire. It did not hit me, but who knows which one would? Unless I am lucky enough to be lucky twenty times in a row, otherwise, I'm bound to lose this time.