A/N - This chapter is more of an action-y fight scene, or more like a downright scrabble for survival. Shrugs~ Enjoy regardless~~~ 

@ImaVIPbaby - Yaaah it is... My bad...maybe my next work should be a fluff or something...

@wookielove - Haha, should i try just to see what you'll do???~~~ Haha, naaah its okay. Not on a plane for the next two weeks anyhoo. Urgh, twelve hour flight. Not looking forwards to it...

@ainnurdoongie - Kekeke, keep reading on~~~~ Haha, you are emotional, but you got my comment sooo there~

@cazz_96 -  weeeeell we shall see. Haha, continue being dramatic!!!! I like it~

@T4kara - Haha the three babo musketeers huh? I'm awaiting your update as well~

Chapter 51 – Without looking back, a young girl grows up

Ji-yun POV

The moment I saw that shine of silver and the gleam of metal, my brain went into shutdown mode and my body moved before I even knew it did. I was crossing the room in three short strides to where Ji Young stood with a knife held over his head and my hand gripped his.

Ji Young froze, staring at my hand locked around his wrist.

“What are you doing Ji-yun?” he growled, dark eyes flashing and meeting mine. I tried not to flinch.

“What do you think I’m doing?” I spat. “I’m stopping you. For good.”

His eyes widened at my defiance. “You dare?” he hissed. “Me?”

“Of course I dare.” I scoffed. “I’m not your property any longer. I have my own will and you know that perfectly well. Even kittens become full grown cats with sharp claws one day.”

“And will you pay the price for growing up?” he whispered in a smoky voice that wound around me like a snake, constricting my breathing capabilities and freezing me like a deer in the headlights. I floundered for breath and freedom.

“I will.” I gasped. “Not just for growing up, but for the sins I have incurred for not growing up faster.”

Ji Young paused at that. And I knew it was because he couldn’t understand what I was saying. Atonement? Growing up? All of those things he had never had in his own life. In his heart, he didn’t truly believe I would leave him. And so, he never predicted what came next….

…Which was me lunging for a wooden broomstick, conveniently leaning against the couch where the doctor had earlier left it after grumbling and sweeping away the dust that he complained could be a danger to his patient’s possible health, and swung it upwards at Ji Young.

I knew there was a part of him that still believed I would stay loyal to him. A stubborn, tiny little fragment that had buried itself into the deepest, darkest part of his soul and so small it was that Ji Young himself didn’t even realize it.

I knew all this and saw all this as he stumbled backwards, reacting slowly to my sudden attack. The broomstick barely collided with him, but hit him it did. With a resounding, ear-splitting craack, the wood splintered into two – a clear testament of how badly I wanted to hurt him.

Time seemed to slow as momentum pushed my body forwards and my eyes met his; both our eyes endless caverns where no light could possibly penetrate that black barrier. Only the kin of such darkness could understand one another and that we did, our words flying between each other like bats taking off and landing.

So I knew he understood my resolve the minute his eyes hardened into two impenetrable pebbles that shut me out. As the fragments of wood splinters flew and time regained its normal, unstoppable flow, we had both confirmed it: the end.

I didn’t wait for his response; instead I rushed forwards with the splintered edge held out like a spear. But this time, Ji Young was in full control of his sense and he swerved, seeing my makeshift weapon’s potential danger and I missed completely.

I stumbled. “.” He spat and with one fluid movement gripped the knife in one hand and slid behind me, grabbing me tightly and roughly and effectively halting my movements.

“Let go!” I yelled, struggling in vain like a baby sparrow fluttering its wings futilely whilst by a bemused cat’s heavy paw. Ji Young gave a dark chuckle, obviously amused and he slowly slipped his hand down my body and over my wrist, tightening his hold until I gasped and tears came to my eyes and I dropped the little wooden stick.

“Let go of Ji-yun.” Sanghyun demanded, shakily standing but standing all the same. His eyes glowed with determination and I knew that nothing short of being handcuffed to a bed would stop him from protecting me. And that would defeat the point of everything.

“No, Sanghyun.” My eyes widened in horror as Ji Young let out a raspy laugh.

“Oh, and if I do, what will you do for me?” he questioned, knowing Sanghyun wouldn’t fall for the bait.

And he didn’t. “What do take me for?” Sanghyun hissed. “I’m no idiot. I’m not making any more deals with you. It’s quite simple: you are going to let go of Ji-yun even if I have to kick your sorry little in doing so.”

“Make me.” Ji Young had fallen back on his mocking ways, but I could tell from the hard nuance in his voice, the spiky tone and the poison that crept into it that he was not playing around. Particularly, I could tell from the way his right hand gripped the knife tighter.

“I will.” Sanghyun fisted his hands.

But I couldn’t let him continue. I twisted like an eel in his grip and Ji Young’s attention was diverted. He frowned and tried to hold me, but I wriggled like a fish and squirmed like a cat intent on escape and then resorted to biting hard on his hand.

“Ouch!” Ji Young swore and jumped backwards, shaking his bitten hand as if he had just touched fire and in a sense, he had just stoked that flaming campfire for I was burning up with energy. I turned around in one swift movement and tackled him. He went down like a fallen tree and I grinned gleefully as I saw the red skin and imprint of teeth. It was like a feral beast had been set upon him.

“Ji-yun!” Sanghyun called for me but his voice was a blur of background noise. Instead I swung my leg forwards, intending to hit his solar plexus. Instead, Ji Young’s hand shot out and grabbed my leg. 

Whilst I had had the upper hand, I was just still a little girl. Something that Ji Young never failed to remind me of. His hand locked around my ankle, his touch as merciless as the cold grip of chains. And then he yanked hard and I fell.

With a hard crash, I landed and my skull thudded against the wooden floor. For a moment, the world was but a vortex of whirling white and brown and then Sanghyun’s voice cleared my mind with his scream.

“JI-YUN!!!” he yelled, but Ji Young was moving to his feet and his leg swung out and I was skidding across the ground and slamming into the wall, the breath knocked out of my lungs. I huffed for air and my hands scrabbled for purchase – of which there was none.

I blinked away the tears and tried to stand. I had to. I had to stand and fight and save Sanghyun because it was my duty, my form of atonement, my way to say I was sorry.

And even something as simple as that, I could not achieve.

Cheondoong POV

Though I did not love Ji-yun the way I loved her sister, I still held her close to my heart. It was a bond we had formed so many summers ago when all three of us had played and joked and sat under the summer sun with our laughter filling the air. Even after the accident had come to pass, I still say Ji-yun as a little sister to me. She may have incurred a lot of hurt, but she was just like Dara and Durami, but more fragile and much more wicked. And to see her getting hurt was one thing a brother could never condone.

I charged forwards at Ji Young as his foot connected with Ji-yun’s stomach. My own ribs twinged in protest, but there was no way I was letting them become an obstacle. Instead, they fueled my rage and desperation added the jolt of adrenaline rush that made my punch all the more powerful.

Ji Young was still focused on Ji-yun when I came in, so my fist connected and he staggered back with an ‘oof’, his grip on his knife loosening it spun across the floor like a blazing star. Then his eyes fell upon me.

“Oh, Sanghyun.” He hissed, head tilted and eyes looking like a pair of burning coals fresh out of the fire, shouldering with anger and ready to flicker into flames at the slightest probe. “You really are pushing me today.”

He twisted his body and his fist slammed into my face. I flew backwards and skidded, just barely maintaining my balance on two feet. And then he was in my face, his physique much healthier and his speed empowered by boiling rage as hot as the inferno of the sun and as volatile as a volcano erupting.

His punches were never ending and I bore the full brunt of his fury. I could barely block half of them and even then, the blows were heavy and slowly I was buckling like a metal shield taking too many hits from a steel mace. I had to end this.

So I swept out one leg and attempted to knock him over – but failed.

I looked up at Ji Young who momentarily stopped and his expression was a cross between the fiery thirst to simply break anything and everything as well as the amused curve at his power and my weakness. And as if to prove his point, his next blow was aimed at my stomach which made me keel over and crumple to my knees.

“Bow.” He whispered darkly. “And admit that you can’t beat me.”

“Never.” I hissed and tackled him, grabbing his legs and forcing him down. He fell backwards and I heard the air fly out of his system. But somehow he still managed to growl and his hands grabbed my hair, pulling them uncomfortably hard till tears formed and sweat beaded against my forehead. But I wasn’t letting go.

No.

Never.

I had to atone for my sins and this was one of them: letting Ji-yun fall onto this ruined and rugged path of stone and fire and crumbling wood. I had to make up for what I had caused and even if her life-threatening disease was not my fault, her lost chance at being a singer – even if it was momentary – had disappeared like a candle flickered blown out with a soft yet cold breeze. I had my own share of the blame and I had to fix it.

I blinked away the tears and tried to hold on. I had to. I had to fight and save Ji-yun because it was my duty, my form of atonement, my way to say I was sorry.

And even something as simple as that, I could not achieve.

Ji-yun POV

The world clearer around me and the sight in from of me scared me. Sanghyun, my beloved Sanghyun, had a vice grip around Ji Young and tackled him to the floor. The latter struggled like a wild lion, refusing to believe his little kingdom could ever be overpowered, and he was reaching, stretching, for the knife just slightly out of his reach.

And then his hands curled around the hilt and a wicked smile curved on his face, like the devil had just laid sight on his next lost lamb.

“NO!!!” someone was screaming and only later did I realize it was me. But my focus was on that shining knife and Ji Young wielding it, holding it up in the air and aiming to slide it right between Sanghyun’s ribs.

I could almost see the knife slide thought skin as if cutting butter, smoothly yet horrifically drawing more blood than was already spilling out from Sanghyun’s ruffled gun wound. I could almost see the way Sanghyun would gulp for air and freeze, the way he always did when he was in immense shock. That’s right; Sanghyun never screamed or yelled. He would always swallow his pain and shock and mask it beneath silence. But then he would let out a small gasp and his façade would crumble. I could almost see the moment when tears would slide down his face and he would crumple.

I could almost see all of that and I knew it would kill me to see that happen.

Therefore I couldn’t let it happen.

Cheondoong POV

All of a sudden, something barreled into me and I was rolled to one side and away from Go Ji Young.

“No!” I hissed, infuriated and only then did I belatedly realize the person who had pushed me aside was Ji-yun. “Ji-yun?” I gasped and then I saw something I never wanted to see.

The glint of silver. Buried deep into Ji-yun’s side.

“NO!” an unearthly scream came out of me and I scrambled to her side. She was holding her waist, clenching her teeth and trying not to scream. Instead, short, pain-filled pants filled the air.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Go Ji Young sit up and stare first at his hands and then at his knife buried deep into Ji-yun’s side.

“What…did…you…just do?” he whispered creakily as if he couldn’t believe Ji-yun had just intervened his attack. Only then did I realize what had happened. Caught up in holding Go Ji Young down, I had not realized he was reaching for his knife and readying himself to plunge the steel deep into my body. But Ji-yun had seen it and had dived forwards, knocking me out of the way and taking the blow instead.

“Why?” Ji Young whispered again and again, unable to believe the final betrayal of his little stray cat.

“Because,” Ji-yun said in a shaky voice, but still managed to pull herself upright. I had to restrain myself from touching her and helping her up because I knew that was not what Ji-yun wanted. “I told you, this is the end. The very end.”

A small tear came to Ji Young’s face and it slid down his left cheek. We were all silent for different reasons. Ji-yun to prove this was the absolute end, me for the shock that the Syndicate leader possessed feelings (I had thought he was cold as a box of frozen sardines) and Go Ji Young as he tried to work this new feeling through his system.

“I see.” He finally said. “So once again, everyone leaves me.”

The last phrase was but a whisper and I frowned at the tone of his voice, at the pure loneliness of it. He looked like an abandoned dog who was too tough and too feral to be approached but retained a touch of lonesomeness that made you itch to just reach out and pat its head. The two feelings warred in me and not for the first time that day I wondered just how many secrets everyone held underneath the ulterior exterior painted in white and colored with a fictional story that fooled everyone until the paint faded and peeled and revealed the truth beneath.

“In that case,” Ji Young continued to speak but his eyes seemed glazed and distant. I didn’t like that look. “In that case then there is no point continuing this all.”

“What do you mean?” I said and he looked up at me with a forlorn expression. His whole body spoke of defeat: his drooping shoulders, his limp hands and his bowed back.

“I mean what I said.” He whispered. “Time to end this all, huh, Ji-yun.”

Now Ji-yun was blinking and frowning.

“So, dear.” Ji Young gave a lopsided grin. “Let’s end this all.”

“Wha-“ Ji-yun opened but then stopped as Go Ji Young pulled out a gun, but it was dull as a common river pebble and seemed to mirror the dark track his thoughts had taken. Still, it looked as dangerous as the knife that was still buried in my girlfriend’s sister’s side. He cocked the level, pointed it at me and then held the gun there, slowly walking closer and closer one step at a time.

“No.” Ji-yun whispered. “No, no, no.” her voice grew louder. “STOP!”

But she was powerless to watch, her wound sapping her strength more than she would like to admit. “Don’t touch him!” she screamed but it went unheard.

I however was possessed by some maddeningly calm silence. On the outside, perhaps I looked like I had accepted my death; a small creature who knew there was no such luck of a falling star just happening to land on said danger and instead chose to be bewitched by the gleam of silver and the smell of gunpowder that seeped into the air.

In reality my mind was a mess of thoughts, each one swirling and crashing like bumper cars driven by maniac teenagers. They crashed and collided like mini electrons in some gadget, sparking violent reactions.

No. NO! It can’t just end like this.

I gripped my hands tightly and positioned myself, half-kneeling and staring down that cold steel barrel that came closer and closer to my face.

No. I promised everyone I would return. Gods, if it didn’t they would all cry wouldn’t they. It wouldn’t solve anything. They would cry and cry and cry. Dara-noona would weep over my cold body, Seungho-hyung would be shaking with sobs at not being able to protect me and Ji-eun…gods…Ji-eun would never stop crying.

No. I can’t let it end here.

There was no way in hell I was letting it end this way.

So I watched Go Ji Young come close and stop but a few meters away. There was absolutely no chance of him missing, so close was he that he was practically at point blank range. I watched as his mouth twisted into a tired grimace, as if he was weary of everything and just wanted this silly little game to end.

I just held my breath, readying myself to do something – anything – so long as it meant my survival.

Go Ji Young twitched one finger and pressed down – an announcement of my absolute death. And I tried to duck – but I was too late.

The silver bullet left its chamber and spun, gaining momentum and firepower as it charged straight at my head. It spun down barrel and then-

-and then the gun exploded and both Go Ji Young and I were thrown backwards in a fiery ball of heat and silver shards.

A/N - Um, wow, pretty lengthy chapter. Sorry guys for making you trawl through so much stuff. This things kinda happens when i try to write action scenes, i kinda get too explicit in my details. Mianhe~~~

However, this lil Ji Young- Ji-yun - Sanghyun conflict is ending soon. So bear with me~

Omg and if there was ever the funniest, ist and well amazing story ever in like five chapters, it would be Uncanny Abilities by JaedaeloBanghimup. Seriously, this whole fic got inspired by this writer and recently her BAP fanfics are seriously killing me with their amazingness!!! Tho, warning, it is centered but gods, i can't stop laughing and then holding my breath and then laughing again. Brilliant stuff