by Con Template
It was Tae Hyun who sped out from the darkness like a wolf and pulled Yoori out of Young Jae’s grasp. Yoori tripped to the side, her mask drooping off her face while her brother tilted to the opposite side. He nearly toppled over at the force of Tae Hyun’s sudden attack.
Oh God, oh God, Tae Hyun! Thank God, you’re a cheetah, she thought happily.
Yoori wanted to raise her hands in joy and praise Tae Hyun. In reality, she was too busy huffing and puffing for air. Tae Hyun shielded his body in front of her, blocking her from her brother. While doing so, he helped her up.
His worried and angry eyes roamed over her. “I leave you alone for a few minutes, and all this shit goes down. You thought I was being paranoid, but do you see why I didn’t want to come now?”
Yoori took her drooping mask off and rolled her eyes. No matter the situation, leave it to Tae Hyun to always pull the “I-told-you-so” card. She wanted to scream out her own fighting words, but resisted the urge. The predicament they were in really didn’t call for useless bickering.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the chosen King himself,” Young Jae mocked, rising to his full height. He straightened his back. His nose was flaring while his eyes brimmed with hatred. “Kwon Tae Hyun, this world may spoil you with its adoration, but I don’t give a fuck about their favoritism. Let go of my sister right now. I won’t allow her to be with you any longer.”
“You’re not taking her away from me, Young Jae,” Tae Hyun told him, pushing a panting Yoori closer behind him.
At this moment, Ji Hoon finally appeared out of the darkness. His eyes flickered to Tae Hyun, Yoori, and finally landed on Young Jae.
Tae Hyun went on, conviction present in his voice. “I don’t want to fight you, but I won’t let you take her either.”
“You don’t want to fight me?” Young Jae burst out in derisive laughter. The King in him awakened at the challenge. He did not show even the slightest sign of fear. “Are you insinuating that you’ll win?”
“No,” Tae Hyun answered, allotting Yoori time to breathe a sigh of relief. She was thankful that he placed his pride on the backburner. She was pleased with the consideration he was showing until he added, “I’m telling you that you’ll lose.”
“Damn it, Tae Hyun!” Yoori cast him a stern look, gripping her fingernails around his forearms in warning. “That’s my brother. Don’t provoke him!”
She may have just met Young Jae today, but she had enough sense to know how much her brother meant to her. No matter the lack of memories, he was her brother, and this alone demanded her loyalty. It just sucked that he and Tae Hyun were already on bad terms. She didn’t appreciate Tae Hyun allowing his prideful testosterone to worsen matters. Big brother hating boyfriend? It was every girl’s worst nightmare—amnesia or not.
“He shouldn’t have pissed me off then,” Tae Hyun snapped back, unwilling to back down.
“Arrogant fuck,” Young Jae growled, having enough.
He was about to charge at Tae Hyun, who was more than ready to fight him, before Ji Hoon ran in. He maneuvered himself around Young Jae and pulled him back.
“Young Jae, that’s enough!” Ji Hoon yelled, dragging Young Jae away from Tae Hyun. “This is the first time your sister is seeing you and you act like this?”
“You piece of shit!” Young Jae cursed, suddenly whipping around to punch Ji Hoon across the face.
Yoori was at an absolute loss for words.
Did Young Jae hate all the boyfriends that Soo Jin had as well?
“You let the woman you claim to love be with Kwon Tae Hyun of all people?” He was disgusted with Ji Hoon. His eyes were icier than the winter night. “Your enemy? My enemy?”
Ji Hoon spat blood from his mouth. With fire burning in his eyes, he furiously grabbed Young Jae by the collar. Young Jae wasn’t the only one pissed off.
“Three fucking years!” Ji Hoon hollered. “You lied to me for three fucking years! You told me that you fulfilled her wishes and that you killed her. I didn’t even know what happened until I saw her a couple of months ago! You fucking hid her, gave her amnesia, and you didn’t even tell me where you hid her. You should’ve given her to me! I would’ve taken care of her!”
By now, it wasn’t even about Yoori or Tae Hyun. It was about Ji Hoon, Young Jae, and the one at the center of all this drama—Soo Jin.
“She has amnesia,” Young Jae countered, pushing Ji Hoon off of him. Fury radiated from him. “From the formula that you gave her. Why would I give her to you? Why would I let you keep her in this world when she wanted to kill herself because of it?”
“Why are you back, Young Jae?” Ji Hoon snarled. “She’s not Soo Jin—she doesn’t remember anything.”
“She can’t be with Kwon Tae Hyun,” he told Ji Hoon decisively. He whipped back to face Tae Hyun. He lifted a warning finger at him. “You’re not keeping my baby sister. If you want to be with her, you’ll have to kill me first.”
“That can easily be arranged,” Tae Hyun said coolly.
“Tae Hyun,” Yoori warned rigidly, unable to talk to anyone but Tae Hyun.
At her call, the primitive violence exuding out of Tae Hyun subsided. He backed down, curbing the temptation to beat the fuck out of her brother. Yoori knew Tae Hyun wasn’t the type to take people’s shit. He was maintaining his composure for her. For that, she was grateful.
When he calmed, Yoori took an unsteady look at the scene around her.
It was a strange experience for her to stand there. She had nothing to say to her former boyfriend and her long-lost brother. She should have stepped in and said something, but she had no idea what to say. All she wanted to do was be invisible.
“She won’t listen to you,” Ji Hoon voiced firmly. “She thinks she’s in love with him. Why do you think she’s with him and not with me?”
“I’ll make her remember then,” Young Jae uttered unthinkingly.
Even Yoori didn’t believe Young Jae meant that.
“You hid her for years so that she wouldn’t remember anything,” Ji Hoon commented, verbalizing Yoori’s thoughts.
“That was before I found out she fell into bed with my biggest enemy!”
Tae Hyun grew tense again. He took in a long, distended inhalation. He was clearly annoyed and was tired of listening to all of this.
“Young Jae,” Ji Hoon called, inching closer to Young Jae. “Three years ago, she came to us saying that she wanted to kill herself and that the only way she could do it was if you injected her with the poison. That was the only way for her to expunge the oath she gave to you and the only way she knew you’d kill her.”
Yoori stiffened when Ji Hoon turned to her.
For the first time, she felt nothing but shame while gazing at Ji Hoon. She had always known that he loved Soo Jin, but to hear him convey it in this degree amazed Yoori. Though she didn’t love him, she did feel guilty towards him. He lost someone he loved, and now this someone was in love with another man. Almost anyone could understand his pain, and Yoori was the one who was affected by it the most.
“Look at her,” Ji Hoon pressed on. “She’s healthy right now. That’s all that matters, and I won’t let you revive her memories. You’ll have to go through me if you want to do that.”
The speech not only touched Yoori, but it also touched her brother. Moved by Ji Hoon’s statement, Young Jae’s anger dispersed. As though Ji Hoon’s words were the water he needed to douse the inferno raging through him, Young Jae nodded understandably before narrowing his hardened eyes on Tae Hyun.
“Who are you to come between them?” he incited, his voice as cold as the arctic ice.
“Young Jae, stop,” Yoori gritted out, walking out from behind Tae Hyun.
Albeit it was unfortunate that Ji Hoon was left without the one he loved, she refused to stand there as her own brother chastised Tae Hyun. It was her decision who she wanted to be with. Tae Hyun would not be blamed for her choice.
Tae Hyun raised his hand for her to not get involved. He remained q
uiet, allowing Young Jae to continue. Like a brewing storm, he paid close attention to whatever argument Young Jae wanted to present before he deigned it was necessary to unleash his own wrath.
“Do you know what they’ve been through?” Young Jae went on venomously. He disregarded the expression of warning on Yoori’s face. All that mattered to him was the relationship he approved of. “He was there for her when she wanted to kill herself and he’s still taking care of her now. Do you really think you have any right to hold her like that, like you’re above everything he is to her?”
“I can’t control time, Young Jae,” Tae Hyun finally responded. His expression was composed as he stared into the eyes of the one who despised his existence. “I can’t help that she met Ji Hoon first. I can’t help that they were together before me. I can’t help that they were ‘in love’ before me and that fate made me come later in her life when I would’ve given anything to be there for her first.”
Tae Hyun’s words tugged at Yoori’s heartstrings. She despondently gazed up at him. She hated that he had to explain himself to them, and she hated it more that Young Jae and Ji Hoon weren't remotely swayed by the sincerity of his words.
“You really think all of this is genuine on your part?” Ji Hoon asked doubtfully. His face matched the same distaste that adorned Young Jae’s visage. “I know you, Tae Hyun. I know how competitive you are. The only reason why she means anything to you is because she means everything to me.”
“I hate you more than I’ve ever hated another human being,” Tae Hyun responded, animosity prominent in his voice. “But you’re mistaken when you say that she means something to me because of how you feel about her. Your feelings for her have no effect on mine. As far as I’m concerned, you were never the reason for anything, Ji Hoon. It just happened to be that you’re the guy I’m competing with when it comes to her. It could have easily been any other guy, and my feelings for her would remain. I would fight for her all the same.” His eyes grew firmer. “But make no mistake about it. If I was there for her in the beginning, then she wouldn’t be here right now.” He then narrowed his eyes on both Young Jae and Ji Hoon. “I would’ve never helped her kill herself when she begged for my help. I would’ve never given up on her. I would’ve never made the mistakes both of you made and allowed her to leave me. I would never let her die.”
He faced Ji Hoon, who was staring at him with fire blazing in his eyes.
“It was your mistake that you let her go. It was your mistake that you lost her. And it’s your mistake that you feel the ‘first-come, first-serve’ basis applies when emotions are involved. You play the brokenhearted prince charming well in this story, but in the end, it has always been your fault. I don’t give a fuck if you look at me as the other guy or if you feel that I stole someone who was yours. I will never apologize for the circumstances of how we met, and I will never apologize for being the one who came after your mistakes. I’m the one she chose; I’m the one she wants to be with. You may have come first, but in the end, it will always be me.”
Done with an angry Ji Hoon, Tae Hyun reverted his focus back to Yoori’s brother.
“Young Jae, listen up. I said all that I needed to say in the matters pertaining to the ‘she-belongs-with-Ji Hoon’ crap, but know that I’m holding more patience with you than you’ll ever know. There’s a big difference between protecting her and taking her away from me. It will be her choice if she decides to leave me, but if you even dare to forcefully take her from me, I’ll put you in a body bag. Do you understand me?”
Young Jae gave a mocking snort. “Your threats may work on the minions at your feet, but they don’t work with me.” He dodged past Ji Hoon and went straight for Tae Hyun. His fists were clenched and he was ready for a battle. “You may be the favorite to rule over the Underworld, but you’re not the Lord yet, and as far as I’m concerned, our ranks are still the same in this world.”
“Young Jae! Stop coming at him like this!” Yoori interjected, pushing Tae Hyun to the side when she saw Tae Hyun’s jaw tighten. He was pissed, and he really might put Young Jae in a body bag if he continued to push his limits.
“Stay out of this, lil sis!” Young Jae snarled. He made a move to lunge for Tae Hyun, but was stopped when Ji Hoon popped in front of him once more.
“Young Jae, she’s not going anywhere with you,” Ji Hoon chimed in, pushing Young Jae back. “We’ll figure out the rest later. But for now, stop overwhelming her. She doesn’t need the stress of being with you to trigger anything.”
“This is Tae Hyun we’re talking about, Ji Hoon,” Young Jae argued heatedly. “I don’t give a damn about the things he says right now. Power is everything to him, and in the end, if given the opportunity, he’ll return to his old ways and my sister will be the casualty of his betrayal.”
“Don’t provoke me, Young Jae,” Tae Hyun growled back, the muscles in his jaw tightening even more. “You don’t know me, so don’t act like you do. I can respect the fact that you’re her older brother and that you’re looking to protect your baby sister. I can empathize with that. But you’re not protecting her if you pull her away from me. She won’t be safe anywhere else, and I can’t have that. I went through too much to be careless with her now.”
Young Jae smirked. There was nothing but revulsion in his eyes. “You have as much respect for me as you did for your brother?”
Yoori saw Tae Hyun tense up at the mention of his brother.
Young Jae noted the same tension and fed on that. He barreled on with his verbal attacks. “I hated Kwon Ho Young with a passion. He killed my father, and even though it wasn’t you, you know that in this world, we share in our family’s mistakes. The blood that pumps in your veins will never excuse you from the hate I feel for your family. You may have been the one to kill him, but you disgust me even more because in my family, there’s a thing called family loyalty. You have none of that so I can’t trust that you’ll have any loyalty for her when the end comes. I’d be a fool to think you would protect her when you murdered your own brother. You’re a disgraceful monster—even by the standards of our world.”
“Young Jae, that’s enough!” Yoori commanded. She was pissed beyond words with how he was speaking to Tae Hyun. Tae Hyun was now quiet as the remembrance of his brother drained the blood from his face. The very sight of him in such a state infuriated her. “Tae Hyun doesn’t deserve to be spoken to like this. You will stop this right now!”
“He doesn’t deserve you,” Young Jae replied. His voice softened when speaking to her. “You deserve better than him.”
“That’s for me to decide,” she retorted stubbornly.
“You’re not making decisions off valid memories or rationale.”
“I’m not a brainless twit!” Yoori screamed, incensed with his hardheadedness. “I know who I want to be with! You don’t know better than me. Just stop it.”
Young Jae was unyielding. “In the future, you would never forgive me if I didn’t try to pull you away from him now. I’m doing this for your own good.”
“I would never forgive you if you pull me away from him now.” She released a deep exhalation. “Now stop it.” Before he could say anything else, she unthinkingly said, “Please, oppa. Just stop it.”
The ice on Young Jae’s visage thawed after hearing her refer to him as “oppa.” Warmth pulsed in his eyes. It was clear that he hadn’t been called “oppa” in a long time, and it was clearer that it was an endearment exclusively given to his baby sister. In spite of his own reservations, he finally gave in to her request.
“You don’t even need your memories to be stubborn,” he bitterly whispered, abandoning all desires to fight Tae Hyun.
The comment Young Jae made was a careless one, but it was one that merited disgruntled smiles of agreement from Tae Hyun and Ji Hoon. Just before another word could be spoken, the Kings and Queen were interrupted by two familiar voices.
“Boss!” Jae Won and Kang Min called, racing toward them from the mansion.
&nb
sp; It was evident to Yoori that Tae Hyun ordered the brothers to guard the entrance to the garden from any other visitors. The brothers’ eyes grew wide when they made out Young Jae’s face under the moonlight. They meant to call Tae Hyun “boss,” but when their eyes averted from Yoori and then to Young Jae, it was obvious they were thrown off guard with the scene before them.
“What is it?” Yoori, Tae Hyun, and Young Jae unknowingly asked at the same time.
“An Advisor?” Ji Hoon asked, looking into the far distance as if seeing a figure emerge from the mansion.
The brothers nodded.
“Shin Jung Min,” said Kang Min, glaring at Ji Hoon. “He’s looking for you. He’s heading here right now.”
“My Advisor can’t see Young Jae right now,” Ji Hoon said to everyone. “It won’t be a good idea. Whatever he sees, the other Advisors will be informed of as well.”
“I don’t care if he sees me,” Young Jae declared. “I may have left this world for three years, but I still have more than enough power to regroup my Scorpions if I choose to. Those old bastards are of no threat to me—”
“The Advisors despise you, Young Jae,” Tae Hyun interrupted, for the first time agreeing with Ji Hoon. “Your disappearance pissed them off like no other—them and the rest of the Underworld. We keep this quiet for now, for Yoori’s safety. She doesn’t need to deal with a dead older brother who just appeared in her life. She has other shit to deal with.”
Tae Hyun looked sideways at Ji Hoon.
“He’s your Advisor,” he prompted, pretty much telling Ji Hoon that it was him who should go and deter Jung Min from his tracks.
Though there was hostility in his voice, his eyes were less hostile as they regarded Ji Hoon. There was no hate in them nor was there the disgust that normally inhabited his gaze. For a split second, Yoori could’ve sworn she felt Tae Hyun’s silent respect for Ji Hoon. Respect that he still cared about Soo Jin (and ultimately Yoori). Ji Hoon shared in that same silent respect as he gazed back. It was as if at that moment, they realized that they didn’t love the same woman. They loved two different women who were now one person. Such a precious moment was fleeting. Within seconds, annoyance reveled in their eyes once more.
