Chapter 253: Kkummi the bird pt2
Taesan’s POV
I trace my fingers over the surface of the ring.
The shine is still there even after so many years. It’s perfect for my mate. The green would suit his soft brown eyes.
The silver band of the ring itself is bigger than my mate’s smaller finger, but I can have it reworked.
My sister shuts the box without warning. She takes it from me and places it on the table.
"You won’t mind if I said my goodbye to it, will you?" she asks, clearing her throat to put on the logical side of herself.
"No, not at all" I say in a voice that is more gruff than intended.
Fuck.
The air in the room is warm with unspoken feelings. We miss our mother, but we are too used to being apart from each other.
"Is there anything else?" I ask, clearing my throat as I shove my hands into my pocket. "Yes, we need to talk about someone that is also important" she says.
"Don’t waste your fucking time if it’s about Yuki" I tell her, clenching my jaw at the thought of the woman I once trusted.
I knew she was going to talk about Yuki.
My older sister has always been a pacifier. The competent older child. She either pacifies or she joins a war to end it.
"We will talk about this" she says calmly and the warmth in the air disappears. "I have nothing to say about that traitor" I growl.
"She was family" my noona says and I shake my head in refusal.
"She put MY family in danger" I struggle to keep my voice leveled.
"It doesn’t change her history with you or the fact that she was there when Jaemin walked out and abandoned you with Sooin" she says softly.
I don’t want to fucking hear it.
"It hurt that I couldn’t be there for my niece, but she had someone else to love her like a real aunt"
Yes, Sooin loves Yuki. But Yuki hurt us badly, I almost fucking died, I exposed Seoha to my grandfather too.
"You don’t understand..." I drag my fingers down my face.
"No, you don’t understand" Taerin shuts me up and I tilt my head backwards, dragging air into my lungs to control my temper.
I can’t lose control here or now. My sister is precious to me, there are kids here, and Seoha needs a break, not another ’calming Taesan’ session.
"Listen to me, Kang Taesan. That young woman came here in a desperate attempt to be a part of the family" my sister continues.
"She shouldn’t have taken herself out of the family in the first place" I snap and she gives me a simple look.
"Yuki loves you; she loves Sooin, she loves the people under Captain’s rule. She made a stupid decision, but you know the power our grandfather has, don’t you?" she asks and I look outside the window.
Taesan’s POV [age six]
’Why are you like this?’ I ask and shake the bird’s cage gently.
It’s not moving like it did yesterday. Kkumi’s tweets are growing weaker, and I don’t know what to do.
Innocent and curious, I take a deep breath before going into my grandfather’s room.
He tells me to stay out, but Kkumi needs an adult. So I open the door without knocking, still holding the cage.
’Who is there?’ he asks with a scary voice. He doesn’t sound like my mommy or my dad.
Grandfather is always at his table, he is always wearing those funny glasses, and he is always plotting something.
He wants me to be like him, but I’m not like him, and I don’t want to be like him.
’Kkumi is hurt’ I say, holding up the golden cage that is holding my bird.
’Kill it’ he says flatly and the cage shakes in my hand, ’w-what?’ I stutter.
’Haven’t you learned anything from me, boy? Attachment is weakness’ he roars.
Tears flood my eyes, but I don’t cry. He’ll beat me if I cry. Mommy says shouting is his regular outburst.
Grandfather talks quietly and laughs a lot when he’s with those other big and scary men, but when he’s with me, he always shouts at me.
’I don’t want to kill Kkumi’ I tell him, lip wobbling uncontrollably.
I want to go back home to my mommy and dad; grandfather is too mean to me.
’Who gave you the bird, boy?’ he asks and I say the hyung’s name.
He’s the beta that keeps me company in the lonely mansion. He gave me the bird to keep me happy when I’m lonely.
’Ask him to come here’ he says and I bolt out of the room, wiping my tears with the sleeve of my shirt.
’Excuse me, I’m looking for Doyoung hyung’ I say to the nearest maid, and she doesn’t seem to care that I’m crying.
She only does her part, taking me to Doyoung and then taking both of us back to my grandfather’s office.
’Is something wrong?’ Doyoung asks nervously.
He’s only seventeen years old, a tall high schooler who is trapped in this world too.
’I don’t know, hyung. I’m scared’ I take his hand and we walk into the room together.
’You gave my grandson a bird?’ grandfather asks immediately we get into the office.
My grandfather looks different when he smiles. He looks like a good old man, like a very kind man.
My racing heart slows as he beckons for Doyoung to move forward.
"Go on, you gave him?’ he asks, still wearing that smile.
’Yes sir...’ Doyoung steps forward.
’Taesan, kill the bird or I’ll kill him’ grandfather says like a villain in a movie and Doyoung gasps in surprise at the turn of events.
’Grandfather!’ I cry out.
I don’t want to kill my bird, I love him, he doesn’t tell me to be like grandfather. And I don’t want hyung to die too, he’s nice.
’That’s my lesson. When you become attached, something has to die. You are not made to love, Taesan’ he says and jerks his chin at Doyoung.
’Good night Doyoung, you can go’ he says.
The panicking teenager turns around and as he is about to run out of the room.
My grandfather pulls out his gun, aims it at Doyoung’s back, lifts a finger to his lips, and gestures ’I will kill your bird’.
My bird...
’G-grandfather, no!’ I scream too weak and too late. Doyoung is already on the floor, bleeding from the back of his head, and body twitches as life leaves him.
I chose a bird over a human.
’When I give you an option, Taesan. Don’t waste my time or else there will be consequences. Now, go kill the bird by yourself, I won’t waste bullets on a bird’ he waves me out while I sob.
Present Taesan’s POV
"Are you thinking about it?" my sister asks and I nod.
"Don’t. You’re older now, you’re not letting him run your life like that anymore" she pats my shoulder and I nod again.
"Now, tonight. You’ll propose to the mother of your pups properly. Have you even taken him on a date before?" my noona asks.
"I-"
"You’re more pitiful than dad. Get dressed by six and tell Seoha to get ready too. I’ll tell you the best spots" she tsks at me.
From outside the window, I see Seoha kiss Sooin on the cheek.
Our life will no longer be hard. I will make sure of it.