The Hunted 8
The Hunted
Chunji's POV
I hadn't let Changjo out of my site since we started off this morning, mostly to keep myself company. He seems so rough and dangerous but all I can convince myself, that I truly know about him, is that he has a good heart. He cares for some reason. He's risked his life, time and time again, to try to help these people that he'd never met. I know deep down that I'm no better off than I was before but somehow I feel like I am.
With L Joe and Ricky off in their own little world, I can finally find a tiny bit of comfort in when Changjo doesn't completely ignore me. Somebody has to be on his side after all and if I'm a complete idiot and Changjo is going to massacre all of us, then I'll die knowing I did what I thought was right.
However, sometimes that won't help. Good intentions don't save lives but neither does trusting a little boy that offers up their weapon and a pretty smile because everyone is trying to deceive. Everyone is trying to lie. Everyone is trying to survive.
That's why I sometimes think it'd be best if L Joe and I did split up...he'd hate me for saying it but he's doing what he thinks is good and I'm doing what I think is good. We can't both be right, we won't agree and one of us is going to get the other killed. I can handle being responsible for my death but I would never wish to be responsible for his. He's important to me. More than I'm ever going to be comfortable with him knowing. That's why I won't leave him.
I can't. I would split in two; kill myself, both figuratively and literally, with my worry. No, I definitely have to stay with L Joe, no matter if he ends up hating me for letting Ricky get hurt. As far as I'm concerned I have 3 people to worry about and L Joe is thinking the exact same thing, only difference is he doesn't care to hide it.
Ricky won't stop looking back at Changjo and I. The boy beside me seems dismissive at this but there must be more to that look on his face. Ricky's eyes are almost pleading, oddly enough. It seems incredibly out of place in Changjo's direction. Ricky must know better than anyone how much Changjo must detest him, so why does he keep staring.
"He wants to talk to me." Changjo surprises me by suddenly muttering the quiet words, his eyes still locked on Ricky's. My pulse started racing, not liking the idea of Changjo being alone with the boy no matter how many times he had before. He gives me a sideways glance and smirks to himself. "I've never gotten so close to stopping him. He must be anxious." He looks incredibly pleased with himself and it makes me feel a bit better when he steps toward Ricky. L Joe turns his attention back on us and narrows his eyes, so I step up as reassurance.
"Changjo...wants to speak to Ricky for a second." I mumble, making L Joe's eyes only go darker. I step in to calm the boy down but he doesn't so much as look at me.
"No way I'm letting Ricky wander off alone with him. No. ing. Way." L Joe growls, making Changjo roll his eyes but I reach out to grip his forearm in a silent plea and I turn to Ricky, who's surprised eyes lock on mine.
"It's okay L Joe. He'll leave his gun behind. Isn't that right, Changjo." Ricky chirps, making me go stiff. I'm very uncomfortable at the idea of Changjo having no gun which L Joe seems to notice and scoffs.
"You let Ricky wander off helplessly and you're worried because Changjo won't have a ing gun?" L Joe chastises and I bite my lip silently.
"You don't understand-"
"I don't understand? You two are all I have now, Chunji. You understand that, don’t you, how incredibly important you are to me? I am responsible for him and for you. You two are my life and I’m won't risk that.” He heaves as if desperate.
“Family only brings trouble.” Changjo speaks so surely of himself it drawls all of our attention.
“Family is about accepting that.” L Joe hissed menacingly. “Don't criticize my views on who's close to me, when I'm the one who ing murdered his own parents. Ricky. Can't. Die." Changjo soon steps forward with a blank stare, seemingly responding to L Joe's confession but the seriousness in his expression soon falls and he holds his rifle out to me expectantly. I cradle it shyly and nod to Changjo letting the shock of L Joe confessing this roll.
"What about the others?" L Joe sneers and Changjo chuckles to himself when L Joe walks by me to grab the last of his guns. I snap back into reality and jump in front of L Joe to collect the last of the guns, feeling more comfortable being the one to return the weapons.
Changjo silently passes his revolver and his two automatics to me and I shove them around my belt. Changjo nods to Ricky, offering for the smaller boy to fallow him. I place my free hand on his arm and wrap my arms around him. He's surprised and immediately goes stiff but I don't release him for a short moment, sure to whisper a last warning.
"Be careful." He laughs quietly and steps away, with Ricky not far behind him. I felt strange, this was all wrong. Would Changjo tell me what they talked about? Would he be honest? ! What if they're working together. Oh . Oh . I massage my temples in sudden distress.
Please Changjo, don't me over. I'm trusting you.
L Joe taps on my shoulder silently and I turn to him in shock.
"You really think he's trying to help you?" L Joe practically rolls his eyes and I purse my lips.
"Not just me. That's the horrible thing. He's trying to help people that reject his help, like you L Joe. Why do you hate him?" I beg while L Joe merely his eye brow.
"Why do you love him?" He cuts back and I gasp at his sharp tone. He's never been much of a hot head and until recently I don't think I've even heard him yell. It surprised me and woke me up. We're changing, this ty world we're stuck with is ing with our heads and pitting us against each other. At this rate we'll be no better than those psychos in the reservations.
"L Joe-" I whisper, getting his attention and quickly calming him down.
"I'm sorry." He mumbles an honest apology and I stare up at him, finally remembering how heartbreakingly handsome he is. I get nervous meeting his eyes but force myself to keep my focus.
"We're both so lost, aren't we." I whisper, making L Joe lean in to understand.
"Channie? What are you-"
"You don't honestly believe Ricky so entirely, do you? You don't think there's even a little about him that's odd?" I swallow too loudly at my own words. "I'm not saying you think he's going to kill us but-"
"Yes." He suddenly answers, making me pause. "Yes, he can be odd." He explains and I practically feel my lip quivering.
"I can't completely trust Changjo either, so don't think you're alone. We don't know anything about those boys but they obviously know about each other." He nods, without a word and I grab his hands to comfort myself and hopefully him. "You're the only person I can have complete faith in Byunghun. I know you are a good person and you honestly want to keep me safe. I can't thank you enough for that. You found me, you protected me. I'll never leave you because we're family now, right." I let my strained voice be completely honest with him.
"Of course Channie." He whispers back, patting down my hair and he pulls me into a quick hug.
"We have to stick together Byunghun. I'll trust you more than anybody else and you have to trust me."
"I already do." He mumbles, letting his arms wrap more tightly around my shoulders.
I always feel so relieved for the few minutes I have with L Joe. They revived me and remind me I can trust L Joe again. He would never let me go and I wouldn't let him go, no matter if he looks at me as his lover, brother, or even son. If I'm with him, I'll be okay.
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I didn't so much as look at the boy tagging behind me until we got out of ear shot. Ricky stopped as soon as I did and I wait for him to start, knowing very well that he was here to talk to me, not the other way around.
"You're ing me up." He growls and I smirk triumphantly.
"I just got lucky, Chunji's a very smart boy." He stares at the floor, seemingly to recollect thoughts.
"Do you like Chunji? Is that why you're trying so hard?" He hisses, making me scoff.
"Hardly. I'm just here to help. If he doesn't want help, then he doesn't want help. Just like every idiot before him. Am I right Changhyun?" He is fuming by now and it's funny in a way. "You also don't want to hurt them." His eyes fly up to mine. "I'm right, aren't I? You want to let them live. You want me to succeed. You want them to escape. Aren't I right?" He grinds his teeth in anguish but is completely silent while I stare down at him.
"Kill me." He whispers and I no more than blink. "You want me to stop, right? So kill me. Stop me the only way I can be stopped." He whispers as if he barely wants to finish his sentence.
"I'm not a murderer. I won't kill, not even you." I answer with a sigh, almost regretful but nowhere near enough to end our little game.
"Please. Please, stop me." He suddenly starts begging, falling to his knees, making my eyebrow when the tears start to fall.
"Just stop, Changhyun. I have no pity on you and I have no reason to have pity on you. You are trading your life for countless others, including your precious L Joe and Chunji." My voice if flat.
"It's not just my life, Changjo. They won't kill me. They say I'm too ing valuable. You should know. I've killed so many people, Changjo. They've ed me up."
"Shut the hell up." I cut him off, thoroughly exasperated by his plea.
"Just end this. Put me out of my misery. You're right, I don't want to hurt them. I don't." He cries, letting the tears continue to fall in steady streams as he crawls to his feet, clinging onto my jacket as if it will help him and finally throws his arms around me.
"Then, ing, don't." I hiss, not caring to listen to the boy any longer.
"You don't understand. You're really my only way out. You've seen the things I've done. The pain I've caused and I'm so desperate for them to just kill me."
"I don't give a about you." I scowl, pulling him off of me but he reattaches himself to me and I sigh.
"You're so lucky. So damn lucky, they couldn't make you do the things they make me. You know I can't run. You know I can't stop. All I can do is die, a slow and painful, horrifying death." I nearly cringe at his final statement, knowing that if nothing else, that claim was very true. Still, I keep my calm facade and let Ricky stumble back.
"Try." He looks up at me, still teary eyed and vulnerable and I see the little boy he's supposed to be. "Try to stop and I'll help you. If you can stop yourself from killing these boys...then I'll kill you."
So, not such a long wait this time around.
I hit a short writers block.
S'all good.
What do you guys think of the new chapter?
Huh? Huh? Huh?
You got to see into Changjo's head.
...No...
Much better. ^-^
What do you think of him???
What do you think of Ricky???
How about the ChunJoe moment?
It's been a while huh? Awww..
Well, I thought it was kinda cute. Haha
Where do my Dots think the plot's going?
Huh?
Maybe everyone will die and we'll all cry because I lied.
No. No. No.
That would never happen.
Are you guys having as much trouble thinking about Ricky like this as I am? I go on twitter and see him posting pictures of him with Zelo. -->
I'm like 
Why do you ruin my plot? HAHAHA
Anyways, that's enough of that, I think.
I'm so happy you guys seemed to like my last chapter! I got like 12 comments!
5 more than usual...yeah!
I get 7 comments on my story with 76 subs...*sigh*
I still love all of you though! I'd love you 10XINIFITY if you commented and upvoted and stuff.
I try to make you guys excited. I really hope I succeed.
I love you!!!!
See you soon okay.
Don't forget me while I'm gone.
P.S. If you do comment, don't be afraid to rant. The long comments make me so happy because it's like 3 comments at a time! ^^
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