Sehun

I saw Haerin sitting on a chair, in the middle of the room. Everything around us was dark but I can see only her, perfectly. I looked at her wedding dress stained and dirty as was taped. Haerin’s hands were tied behind her and I saw endless tears stream down her face. My heart clenched, seeing her there, in that state.

I wanted to take a step forward, but I can’t move a muscle. My heart dropped at the sight that she was suffering. This is what Daehyun wants. He wants me to see my own girlfriend struggling right in front of my own eyes. I balled my fist as I fought hard to make a step forward but it was like my feet were literally glued to the ground.

I finally got to take a step forward but the nearer I got, the more she shook her head and cried harder. I don’t understand. I furrowed my eyebrows and continued to walk towards her. But as soon as my hands were almost just an inch away from touching her face, multiple shots were made and heard.

My eyes widened as the blood started to seep through her stomach. Haerin’s head fell down, unconscious. I gaped at her, my hands shaking as I tried to reach for her face. I was yelling but I heard nothing, not even my own voice. I untied her, hurriedly. No. She won’t die. I can take her to the hospital. She’s going to make it if I take her now.

As I untied her hands, her upper half fell on my chest as her head lied on my shoulders. But the heartbeat I used to feel whenever she was this close to me was now nothing. I cried and still took her out of the goddamn chair. I stumbled as I tried to carry her unconscious body and we both fell on the ground, this made me hug her tighter than ever and cried harder than I’ve ever had.

“No! No! No!” I yelled as I held her unconscious, dead body close to mine.

“She’s gone Sehun.” Daehyun appeared from the dark corner of the room, he was holding a gun and pointing it at me, “She’s gone and she’s not coming back. She’s dead. Forever.”

“No,” I cried and kissed Haerin’s shoulder, “Baby, no.” I could careless if I was shot dead now. I might as well die than live more days, weeks, years, facing this nightmare.

“No, come back to me. I need you. I love you so much. Please. Baby, wake up,” I cried, whispering as I pleaded—begged—for her to be alive. I knew it was impossible, but when you’re hugging the love of your life, lifeless, it was more impossible to believe more than anything else.

I heard a gun shot, but when I did, I shot up from bed. I panted and held my chest as I felt my heart racing inside. It was a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. I sighed and closed my eyes.

“Sehun!” I heard Suho hyung yell from outside. I quickly jumped out of bed and ran out my room. Surprised, I saw three policemen standing with the rest of the lads in the living room. My brows furrowed as I glared at the boys. I’ve told them time and again, police involvement is going to worsen this case!

“Hyung I told yo-”

“They’ve tracked down Jong-Up’s phone. They have a lead on where Haerin and those bastards are!” Suho hyung told me as I gazed at the police officers, waiting for them to give out the information they know about those ers who took my bride.

“Moon Jong-Up’s last call was last night, he called a girl named Kim Hyeri at 7:48,” I cringed at the mention of Hyeri’s name. Involved or not, I do not want to hear her name anymore. It reminds me of everything she put Haerin through before all of this, “She’s now currently in the precinct for questioning,”

“You tracked the call, didn’t you, officer?” Haerin’s mother asked.

“We did and we want to inform you about our plan. We have 24 hours left.”

“Why is there 24 hours left? Did they give you a deadline?” Kris hyung asked.

“Mr. Sun here reported the surveillance photos taken from Dr. Jung’s home. It turns out that Bang Yongguk had taken one of his works—an injectable microchip. We talked to Dr. Jung after promising him of complete witness protection. He told us that this microchip produces electric shock and the human heart can only take a maximum of five electrocutions before it completely kills the person,” Everyone in the room was devastated. Haerin’s mother cried as she held onto her second husband’s arms, meanwhile Haerin’s father looked down with tears as well. I clenched my jaw and fist. Daehyun’s going to die.

“From the information that Kim Hyeri had told us, the only thing Moon Jong-Up told her was that they used the antidote that Bang Yongguk took with the injectable microchip. Dr. Jung informed us that after Haerin’s intake of the antidote, we only have 24 hours to save her before it kills her,”

We only have 24 hours to save her before it kills her. This sentence repeated in my head, like a mantra as my heart raced, nervous and terrified at the thought.

Haerin

Shivering on the ground, I hugged myself. My head was aching so bad I couldn’t even keep my eyes open for no longer than five seconds. Zelo and Jong-Up went up here to check on me and I heard one of them say I was running a fever. The two of them concluded it was because of whatever Jong-Up made me drink. As far as I was concerned, it was nothing but water. However, Jong-Up mentioned something like a serum, like an antidote being mixed in. I heard the two of them argue, Zelo yelling at Jong-Up because apparently, whatever got mixed up in my drink should not be in there.

I heard Zelo perfectly say “, that ing thing is not recommended!” but Jong-Up argued his point about stopping the microchip from working or something like that.

After all of that, I just drowned in plain nothingness. How many days has it been? Everything was just black and it was so cold, I felt my back pressed against the wall just to make myself feel warmer. My head kept aching and I kept coughing as if I was already about to cough my lungs out. What worried me the most was feeling my heartbeat, increase its pace and then drop into a much slower pace than it did. An uneven heartbeat is something worth worrying about.

And that raised a question.

Am I going to die?

I remembered, once in class. I got asked of what I would do if I were going to die the next minute. My answer at the time was very typical—proper goodbyes to everyone. But now that I’m lying here, almost unable to move since Daehyun had electrocuted me thrice already, I want to do one thing if I’m going to die the next minute. Forgive.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun bought a friendship keychain together that had the saying ‘Forgiveness is the final form of love’ engraved on the circle shaped wood. If my heart would stop beating at this moment, I would want it to stop beating without holding any more grudges from everyone who had caused me pain.

I am forgiving my parents who still think they’ve done everything wrong, for separating and for letting me grow apart from them because truthfully, I am at fault too. I had never made any effort to bring them back together or at least to make our family feel like it still is, though it will never be anymore. All they did was love me and