The Barbarous Us-KTH FF (Book I)

FORTY FOUR

TAEHYUNG'S POV

Fuck my back hurts. I groaned as I walked toward the noise. Part of me was so confused and tired that I really wished I had remained sleeping. Had it not been for the damn sun, I could have slept there all day.

Stepping into the campsite, I glanced around at the cabins scattered deep within the forest. My Y/N sure knew how to pick a vacation spot. A few men smirked at me, and it was then that I realized I was covered in flowers. Sighing, I brushed myself off quickly before attempting to walk forward. The key word being attempting.

It happened so quickly I didn't even have time to blink. My body was thrown back at the force of the bullet that collided with my chest. I couldn't scream. I couldn't even breathe. All I felt was the pain.

Goddamn it, Jin!

My body began to shake as chaos erupted around me. Hoseok was beside me in a moment before a scream rippled through the air.

"Taehyung!"

That was the voice of an angel. My angel. She pushed Hoseok  away from me before falling to her knees beside me. She looked so beautiful. I reached up to touch her face, but when I did, all I could see was the blood on my hands. My blood on my hands.

Y/N grabbed the side of my face with one hand and gripped tightly to my hands with the other.

"You're going to be okay," she whispered. "I swear. You're going to be okay."

She was starting to blur as the pain took over. In the back of my mind, I could feel them ripping my shirt. But in the front of my mind, all I could see was her. She was worried, scared, and caring as she held onto me. I smiled at her and she smiled at me.

"You're not alone, Taehyung," she whispered, and I knew that the pain, the burning in my chest, was worth it. This was so fucking worth it.

I took a small amount of pleasure in the panic in her eyes as mine closed. Half of me felt so bad for causing her pain. The other half knew that we, as humans, sometimes learned the best lessons from pain.

Checkmate.

JIN'S POV

I cleaned my rifle for what had to be the fifteenth motherfucking time as I waited for the sun to come up. I wouldn't be able to sleep until this was over. Truthfully, I hadn't slept well in over a decade. Every night since high school, I woke up in the same cold sweat, and every night I would believe it was just a dream until I saw the tattoo on my arm. It was nothing special or fancy. It was just the number 224. The locker I found Taehyung in. It would forever be burned into my skin and in my mind.

Every night I saw him, this small nerd with messy brown hair and glasses shaking in a locker. He was beaten up badly. He had even pissed himself he was shaking so hard. I was momentarily frozen in shock. I screamed for help over and over again, even when Coach So was already there trying to help him. I just kept screaming until my voice went silent. He stepped in and did what I had failed to do. In that one moment, it was like a sheet was lifted from my fucking face and I realized I was an idiot. I was jealous of Taehyung . Our father had poured his love into him since the moment he was born. The sun and moon revolved around Taehyung . Was he all right? Did he take his pills? How far did he walk today? Did you see how fast he read that book? Did you know he understands your homework Jin? Taehyung this. Taehyung that. Whenever I needed to speak with our father, he was in Taehyung 's room. Whenever I need help, he was busy with Taehyung . Always fucking Taehyung . I was jealous. He lost his twin, had his shoulder broken, his feet crippled, and small dying lungs, all within hours of just being born, and I was jealous of him.