Curate, connect, and discover
holy fuck this is amazing
Warnings = mentions of non-conđ , captivity, false hope, infantilization, use of guns, killing/murder
Pairings = Bonten x fem! reader
Summary = Meeting them was a mistake. A fatal mistake on your end. Now you're trapped in their operation.
Word count = 5.7k words
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Youâre running, but youâre not fast enough. Theyâre probably just right behind you. You had no idea what you were going to do even if you were to escape; there was no safe house waiting for you whatsoever.
Who are they? And why are they chasing you?
Ah rightâ Mikey and his lackeys.Â
He probably had hundreds, but none come close to Kokonoi, Sanzu, Mochi, Kakucho, Takeomi and those freak siblings, Ran & Rindou. They were practically a package, if you messed with one of them, you messed with the others.
You couldnât remember, but it was Kakucho? Maybe he was the one that offered you a job at his company. It was a simple task really, just be there for a few days of the week, not even everyday.Â
Seemed easy enough, but that was your mistake for thinking that it was just an innocent job. The job being having their cocks shoved deep inside your throat or deep inside you 24/7. Believe it or not, it felt kind of weird when you didnât have something inside you. It was just the effect of it overtime.
Ever since the day you crossed paths with them, your life just seems to keep getting worse. From how controlling they get to how possessive they are over you, it was annoying.
You swore you could count how many times they let you out of the office with just one hand, and it was only three times. One was for clothes shopping and even then they bought a huge amount of clothes for you at once to avoid any unnecessary shopping trips.Â
You still felt that lingering feeling of their touches, even if it happened long ago. The way their hands just seemed to invade any non-existent boundaries just seemed to make you even more uncomfortable than you already were.Â
You remembered how you begged to let them let you put your clothes on by yourself. It was like they were convinced you couldnât be trusted to do simple tasks, it was like they were convinced you were a child of some sort.Â
âStop it, I can do it myself. Just let me go in the changing room, itâs not like I have any chance to escape,â you complain to Ran, even though you knew the argument was only going to come in from one ear and exit the other ear.
âHmm? Iâm just tryna help, just let me help you,â he says with an iron grip on the door of the changing room, not allowing you to close it.
And after that, the memory just blurs⌠but you just canât shake off the uncomfortable feeling.
That time was also the time they implemented an âunwrittenâ rule of giving you 0 privacy. Whether itâd be showering, changing clothes, or even sleeping⌠one of them always had to be beside you, breathing down your neck as you did simple activities.
It didnât happen all the time, but it happened most of the time. They did it mostly to annoy you if anything, they knew how you hated having no time for yourself, but technically, everyone hates it.
The second time was to have you trick their client into believing that they arenât being threatened. The same way they had tricked you into believing that they were trust-worthy.
âS-sir please, they arenât dangerous at all!â the lies spill from your mouth.
You had felt bad for the man; actually you felt bad for anyone who had the bad fortune of getting anywhere near Bonten.Â
âYouâre clearly just as messed up as all the others! How could a sweet woman like you fall for their type of behaviour!â he spat out, each word hitting you like a sharp blade to the chest.
You could see the disappointment in his eyes. You felt like a daughter who just got scolded for failing the recent math test. Speaking of tests, the third and last time was⌠a test as well.
In some sick way, they all had collectively agreed to give you that false hope. The false hope of believing that you were able to be free.Â
You remembered it like it was yesterday. The door was wide-open, well not really. But that day, there werenât any guards stationed near the entrance, and none of them were seen. You shouldâve known. After all those weeks and months of carefully watching you, why would you be left alone all of a sudden?
You remembered the series of events. It started when you stood in the common room, looking through the shelves on the walls, the furniture, and the decor. They barely bothered to give you any sort of entertainment. They hadnât let you have a phone, tablet, nor a laptop. Actually, they didnât let you have anything.
The boredom drove you crazy; it was pure torture. That was when you started fidgeting with the door⌠and you realised.Â
The door wasnât locked⌠it was unlocked.Â
You looked around at the surroundings, a lump starting to form in your throat. The usual watchful eyes, the always-present guards were all gone, as if theyâve dissipated into thin air. The hallway stretched before you, eerily silent, untouched by the suffocating presence that had come with your every move for months.
For the first time, there was no one. No lingering figures in the corners, no distant murmurs of conversation, no sharp clicks of your dress shoes against the polished floors. Just stillness.
And that was when the thought crept in, fragile and dangerous.
âI could be free.â
The possibility lodged itself in your chest, a spark of hope so reckless it almost hurt. Your fingers twitched at your sides, your body was torn between instinct and disbelief. It had to be a trick. It had to be.
But what if it wasnât?
What ifâ by some impossible twist of fateâ they had finally let their guard down?
But, no, of course they didnât. They had given you that chance just to mess with you.Â
You remembered the aftermath of the âescapeâ. You remembered how they held you down and raped you. They claimed that it was a necessary lesson for you.
You remembered how you whimpered, begged, and screamed for them. The memory still rung in your head like a death knell.Â
And, even after that, you dared to try and escape again. Thatâs what youâre doing now. Youâve been trapped long enough to know that theyâve probably added drastic measures just in case you got too far but you highly doubted it was that bad.
The premises was a mix of an apartment and a work building. Half of it was dedicated to tending to business and the other half was for living in. And you had the oh so unfortunate experience of living in it.
Well, whatever, youâre here now.Â
People say ârun like a girlâ means to run for your life. And you agree with that. The way youâre running right now was like a crazed lunatic on drugs. Your lungs were on fire. Your legs were on fire. Everything was on fire. You disagreed with alcohol, but the way it burned your tongue helped burn away the pain.
You werenât planning to escape right now, but you were planning to escape. The reason you despised school and having a nine-to-five job is because of how suffocating it felt. This is how you feel now and forever with them.
As mentioned before, youâve tried to run so, so many timesâ yet they keep capturing you and bringing you back.
They were like annoying mosquitos who chased you around for blood, never able to leave you alone and similarly, hunting you down for blood. The only difference being their motive.
You lost track of time ever since you started running. Last time you checked it was 7.50 AM in the morning and you just finished breakfast with the same group of people who kept you captive.
It was like hell.
âDarling, why havenât you eaten anythingâŚ? We are soooo worried about you,â Sanzu joked, earning a chuckle from all the other members.Â
âYou should eat. We spent good money on the food.â firmly stated by Mikey. He was never like the others. He always had that intense, serious, terrifying aura surrounding him at all timesâ but donât get it twisted, he was just as messed up.
âFuck you.â you thought to yourself, but, oh, how badly you wanted to say it to them.Â
All you hadâ no, canâ do right now was just to focus on running. You had managed to run all the way onto the main road. You threw your arms up high in the air around in hopes of gaining any driverâs attention, and luckily you did.
As soon as the door to the red pickup truck opened, you quickly blurted out: âPlease, take me far, far away from here.â
âDo what the lady says fool, DRIVE.â a lady from the back suddenly appeared out of nowhere and said. She had beautiful, shiny, blonde hair travelling down her back and her lips were the perfect shade of pink⌠okay get yourself straight now.
âAlright! Calm it down a notch wouldâcha?â he says, each word being spit out.Â
Breathlessly and shockingly, you managed to mutter a small âThank you so muchâŚâ.
âNo worries! Whatâs it all about anyway? Runninâ from yer parents?â she asks.
âNo⌠no⌠nothing of that sort. Iâm⌠just running from anâŚoohâŚ! Wait a second⌠let me catch my breathâŚâ you gasp.
âItâs alright, just take your time,â the man in the driver seat replies.
Your gaze drops down, scanning your legs. The place was isolated, it was practically in the middle of nowhere, but not really⌠rather, it was in the middle of the woods. A few seconds of silence passed by to let yourself collect your thoughts and scene of events.
Wait⌠what even happened?
What date is today anyway?
All you remembered was seeing a job offer at⌠Bonten⌠building? There was a job interview for you on July 28th, 2017. You accepted it⌠and⌠wait what happened?Â
â
Around 6 months ago~
Your heels clicked sharply against the polished marble floor, each step measured exactly the same distance from one another and deliberate as you approached the receptionistâs desk. Yes, it mightâve been a bit too extra but you might as well since youâve already gone through and through with all the other preparations.
Today, you had actually left behind your usual overstuffed purse to minimize the risk of dropping your bag and letting all the contents fall out and also for a lesser chance of drawing unwanted attention since having an extremely full bag did somewhat draw attention to you in an expected yet unexpected way.
You were dressed in a fitted black blazer to what people would say âover-ironedâ white, buttoned shirt. Every piece of your outfit was meticulously chosen to show that you were there for business. A tight pencil skirt hugged your form, perfectly cinched at the waist by a thin belt and even your hair and makeup were flawless, every detail put together for the sake of looking professional.Â
Click. Click. Click.
âGood evening maâam, do you know where to meet uhmm⌠Kakucho Hitto?â you ask her.
Her eyes darken before she looks up at you. Her eyes seemed dull, as if there were no emotions behind her. Well, now you understand why.Â
You shouldâve noticed how her demeanor was back then. You couldâve chalked it up to just a âbad dayâ, but they way she acted was abnormal.Â
âYes, heâ I mean Boss Kakucho is on floor 10, third room to the right.â she firmly states.
âThank youâŚâ you gratefully say to her.Â
Ding!
The elevator doors slide open smoothly with a quiet chime following it, and you walk in. Oh, thereâs also another person. He had⌠red and white eyes? It was rare enough to see someone with heterochromia let alone see someone with red eyes and/or white eyes only.
"She said the third room to the right⌠right?" you mutter to yourself, forgetting about the man beside you in the elevator.
A low chuckle comes from him, but barely hear-able from the low hum of the elevator. But you still shift your head towards him, locking gazes.
"Talking to yourself, huh?" His voice is smooth, but thereâs something in his tone that makes your skin get goosebumps.
You stiffen slightly before forcing a small laugh. "Oh, yeah⌠Just making sure I donât get lost."
His gaze lingers on you, dark eyes sharp and unreadable. "Third room to the right. Floor 10." A pause. "That means you're going to Kakucho's office."
You blink your eyes at him. "Uh⌠yeah. Do you know him?"
Thereâs a sudden, well not really sudden, shift in the airâ a suffocating one at that, itâs subtle but inescapable. He exhales, tilting his head just enough for the overhead lights to cast a small ray of light along his sharp features.Â
"OhâŚ" he says. "Thatâs me."
The elevator dings. The doors slide open. But for some reason, you donât move.
It reveals a long and narrow hallway lined with the same identical doors everywhere. The dim lights above cast small, faint shadows along the walls. It somehow made the area feel both like an endless void and yet⌠claustrophobic at the same time.
âCome with me,â he states firmly, ordering you. You do follow him and to your luck, the interview went smoothly.Â
Thatâs why you came back, no?
Now that youâre thinking about it, you werenât lucky at all.
â
Once youâve gathered everything in chronological order, the story comes out like a word vomit.Â
âU-ugh⌠So it StartsWithMeGettingAJobInterviewAndIGotTheJobButTurnsOutTheWholeCompanyWasJustAHugeMafiaThingOrSomethingAndAfterThatâŚâ
And it continuesâŚ
With every word spilling out of your mouth, the two other people in the car just look even more shocked. You swore their jaws only dropped further on the ground as the story-telling went on.Â
âW-wait⌠so youâre running away from⌠them right now?â she clarifies with you. She doesnât seem too confused about the story since, itâs just basically torture on your end.Â
âYES!â you say to her, glad that she understands for the most part.
âS-should we⌠call the copsâŚ?â the guy asks, looking concerned as hell.
You stare at him for a while, completely unresponsive. Then, you swallowed the lump growing in your throat. âN-no⌠you canât do that. If I get caught again, itâs going to be even worse if the cops get involved.â.Â
âDude! This is crazy. I feel like itâll get worse if the cops DONâT get involved?â the guy asks, slightly laughing at your logic. He takes his arms off the steering wheel for a while to show his shock and turns his body to you.
Your body jolts at the unexpected rise of volume. âI get it but look, I-Iâm sorry⌠but I donât want this to get worse!â
âGirl, youâre absolutely delusional if you donât think we are gonna call the cops.â she says before whipping out her phone from her purse.
âWaitâ noâ stop!â you yell. Instinctively, you try to jump to the backseat to rip her phone from her hands.
âHey! What the hell?!â the guy screams as your sudden shove jerks the wheel, causing the car to go into a wild, sudden swerve.
SCREEECHâ SKRRRTTâ
The tires shriek against the pavement, the entire vehicle violently turning left, then right, then left againâ nearly spinning out of control. The force slams you against the door roughly, your heart starting to hammer against your chest as the car skids dangerously close to the separator thing in the middle.
âWHAT ARE YOU DOING?!â he shouts as he tries to regain control of the car. His grip starts to tighten around the wheel, causing his knuckles to turn white from gripping the wheel.
âUghâ! Just let us help you!â she shrieks, trying to loosen your grip on her wrist.Â
âNo! Y-you canât!â you yell back at her.
âGIRLS STOP IT!â the driver screams loudly. The outsiders probably heard it too.
âAlright fine, we wonât call the cops. Well, not until we find you somewhere safe.â the girl subsides.
âThank youâŚâ you say, going back to your seating position and crossing your arms angrily.
The car goes quiet for a few moments, all of you sharing the awkward moment. The only sound you could hear at this point was the hum of the car engines and the honking and yelling from the outside.Â
The silence was unnerving, but it was probably best that no one talked at the moment.Â
That was until you let out a sigh and finally muttered a response. âFine⌠you guys promise to call the cops when I get to a safeââ
Then an impact came out of nowhere. One second, the streets were quiet with just the quiet sounds of the road along with the car and suddenly, the next being a pair of headlights cut through the dark, and thenâ
A huge crash.
The vehicle fell sideways. Metal screeched against the cemented ground. Glass exploded, sending shards everywhere. The seatbelt went deeper into your chest, locking you in place as the car spun out of control before slamming to a stop.
For a moment, there was only the ringing in their ears. The scent of burnt rubber. The weight of shock pressing down on their ribs.
Thenâ footsteps. They were heavy, terrifying.
A silhouette approached through the haze of broken headlights, the soft click of a lighter from the silence. The fiery glow of a cigarette revealed a familiar emblem embroidered in black.
Bonten. It was them.
Your stomach dropped. This wasnât just an accident, no, this was your kidnapping version two.
â
You woke up with a bag over your head. You could tell the room was empty with how any small sound was echoing since there was nothing to absorb the sound, only the walls reflecting it.
Your wrists were tied behind your back and so were your ankles. They were starting to hurt with just how tight they were around your joints. The ropes seemed to be those huge, heavy ropes that you would use on a farm animal rather than a human. There were sharp strands standing astray from the pack, sharply rubbing against your skin. Itâs going to hurt, just like their usual trademark.Â
You tried to jump up, but the only result was an echo of the metal chair moving.Â
Thenâ the door locks clicked.
âGet in quicker, you dumb whore.â Rindou orders. Youâre sure it was Rindou, the voice matched his and so do the words.
âAlright, alright! Just be nicerâ Iâm a fragile girl okay?!â a female voice yells back.
The bag is ripped off your head, and now you can see. You can see the girl from before kneeled in front of you, her hands tied behind her back as well. Shit.
âHey!â you jump. âP-p-p-please donât hurt her!â
Ran moves over to you, hands moving above your head⌠and it goes down⌠and again⌠and again⌠in a stroking pattern. It mightâve been lovely⌠if only not for the situation. Then, he leans down to your ear to whisper, âYâknow⌠you shouldâve just obeyed our rules.â
Right. Their three âsimpleâ rules. Donât escape, donât disobey orders, and donât do anything without one of them being present.
Click.
The sound of a gun.
And it was pressed onto her temple.
âAny last words to her?â Sanzu asks, his finger on the trigger.
âW-wait! Iâll do anything!â you suddenly yell out.
âOhohoh⌠you really think you can do that nowâŚ? Itâs far far too late for that now, darling.â Sanzu says, sadistic eyes drilling holes into you.
Shoot. What are you supposed to do? Someone who wasnât supposed to get involved got involved and now theyâre held at gunpoint while you were bound onto a chair, unable to help them.
Your breath hitched as you struggled against the restraints, the rope starting to drill into your wrists. Panic clawed at your chest, drowning out every rational thought. She was innocent, shaking⌠and she squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body trembling under the cold press of Sanzuâs gun.
âPleaseââ you choked out, voice raw with desperation. âPlease, sheâs not involved! This has nothing to do with her!â
Sanzuâs lips curled into a grin, his finger teasing the trigger. âOh, but she is now,â he sings, tilting his head. âAnd whose fault is that?â
You.
Itâs your fault.
Your mistake.
Your punishment.
âPlease,â you whisper, throat tight. âIâll take whatever you want. Just let her go.â
Ran lets out an amused hum, his hand still lazily stroking your head like you were some pet begging for mercy. âThatâs cute,â he murmurs. âBut you know the rules. No disobedience. No escaping. No acting without one of us.â
He clicks his tongue, and his grip tightens in your hair, yanking your head back painfully. âAnd you broke every single one.â
Sanzuâs laugh is light, almost playful. âItâs a shame, really. She seems so⌠sweet.â He leans down, his voice dripping mock sympathy. âGo on. Say your goodbyes.â
Tears burn in your eyes. âPleaseâŚâ
Your voice cracks.
Sanzu sighs. Thenâ
Click.
Bang.
The sound rips through the air like a whip, and for a second, time stops.
A scream lodges in your throat. Blood splatters all over. Itâs warm, sticky and all over your skin, and when you force your eyes open, your stomach turns to ice.
The girl slumps forward, motionless.
Sanzu hums, spinning his gun on his finger as if he didnât just pull the trigger. âOops,â he chuckles. âGuess you were too late.â
Ran releases your hair, letting your head drop. The weight of the moment crushes you, suffocating, unbearable.
Then, a hand cups your cheekâ gentle, almost tender. You flinch.
âShhh,â Ran coos, tilting your face up to meet his violet eyes. âYou brought this on yourself, sweetheart.â
Sanzu crouches in front of you, resting his gun under your chin, forcing you to look at him through blurry, tear-filled eyes.
âNow,â he purrs, âletâs talk aboutâŚâ Sanzu moves towards the door, pressing the door handle and opening the door.
It was to reveal the other guy. The guy who was supposed to drive you to safety. But only because you demanded him to. Howâd you get 2 people killed in less than a day?
Sanzu grins, stepping aside to let the man stumble in. He was barely standing. Blood dripped from several spots on his head, staining the collar of his shirt. His breaths were ragged, uneven, as if he had been beaten within an inch of his life before being dragged here like a trophy.
"Look who we found at the scene lurking around," Rindou drawls from behind him, arms crossed. "He was trying to escape but⌠he was not very subtle, was he?"
Your stomach churns. He wasnât supposed to get caught. He was supposed to be long gone out of this hellhole, far away from them. And yet, here he was.
The man lifts his head, eyes meeting yours. Defeated.
Broken.
Sanzu leans against the chair youâre tied to, sighing dramatically. âNow, I am gonna let this slide. Maybe teach you a little lesson and send you back to your pretty little room.â His fingers trail along the side of your face before he grabs your chin roughly, forcing you to look at the man. âBut then you had to go and involve him too. How greedy.â
âSanzu,â you whisper, voice barely audible. âPlease.â
He pouts mockingly. âAw, you sound so sad.â He spins the gun between his fingers before pointing it at your driver. "You already lost one. Think you can handle losing another?"
Ran chuckles, draping an arm over your shoulders. "Or maybe," he muses, "we make this interesting. How about a little⌠choice?"
Sanzu grins, eyes glinting with something wicked. "Yeah. That sounds fun." He crouches down next to you, tilting his head. "So, what'll it be, sweetheart? Him?" He gestures to the beaten man. "Or you?"
The room feels colder. Your pulse pounds in your ears.
Thereâs no right answer.
There never was.
Because you knew either way, youâd both die. Itâs just theyâd probably let you live longer, just to live with the guilt.
âSo⌠how is it Y/N?â Takeomi asks, his deep raggedy voice echoing through the room.
âShoot me.â you answer, with almost no hesitation.
âWRONG!â Sanzu yells before quickly moving the gun over to him, and pressing the trigger.
Bang.
The shot rings out, sharp and final.
Your body jerks against the restraints, a strangled noise catching in your throat as the man crumples to the floor. Blood pools beneath him, spreading like ink across the cold concrete. His chest shudders onceâ twiceâ before falling still.
Gone.
A choked sob forces its way past your lips. You did this. You led him here. You got him killed.
Sanzu exhales, almost bored, before twirling the gun and slipping it back into his holster. "Tsk, tsk. You really thought weâd let you choose?" He crouches, tilting his head with a smirk. "Thatâs cute."
Ran clicks his tongue, brushing a hand through his hair before crouching next to you. His fingers brush your cheek, almost affectionate. Almost. "See, sweetheart, it was never about the choice. It was about watching you break."
And you were.
Piece by piece.
Sanzu claps his hands together, standing back up. "Now that the funâs over, letâs move on, yeah?" He grabs your chin, forcing you to look at him.Â
His grin stretches wider, wicked and sharp. "Youâre ours. You always were. And after this? You always will be."
Ran hums in agreement, brushing a stray tear from your cheek. "Now, be a good girl and behave, alright?"
You donât answer. You canât.
Because you canât escape.
Then, the door opens once again. Itâs Kakucho.
âHmm, are you guys done?â his hand still on the handle, he glances shortly at the scene inside the room. âClean it up. Once youâre done, bring her down. Mikey called.â
Then, the door shut behind him.Â
Your breath hitches. Mikey.
The name alone sends a shiver down your spine.
Sanzu clicks his tongue, rocking back on his heels before standing up. âWell, you heard him,â he sighs, rolling his shoulders. âLetâs get this over with.â
Ran hums, giving your face one last slow, mocking pat before standing as well. âWe should make her presentable first,â he muses, glancing at the blood smeared across your face. âMikey wonât like her looking like a mess.â
You barely register their words. Your ears are still ringing, your body trembling as you stare at the lifeless body in front of you.
Itâs over. Heâs gone.
Because of you.
A hand grips your arm, yanking you forward. You stumble, legs barely holding you up as Ran steadies you with an almost gentle touch.
âCome on now, sweetheart,â he murmurs, voice deceptively soft. âLetâs not keep Mikey waiting.â
Sanzu only grins, eyes gleaming with sadistic amusement. âOh, I canât wait to see what he has planned for you.â
And as they drag you out of the room, past the blood, past the bodies.
â
Somehow, their definition of making you presentable was putting you in a super see-through, lacy lingerie. It was a shade of pastel pink, and had a beautiful motive⌠itâs just the situation wasnât as pretty.
The humiliation burns hot inside you, itâs hotter than the fear.
Sanzu lets out a low whistle, arms crossed as he leans against the wall. âDamn, sweetheart,â he chuckles. âYou clean up nice.â
Ran smirks, tugging at the delicate lace strap on your shoulder before letting it snap back against your skin. âMikeyâs gonna love this.â
You swallow down the lump in your throat, glaring at them despite the helplessness weighing you down. Your arms are bound, your body exposed, and yet, they look at you like youâre nothing but entertainment.
âYou bastards,â you seethe, voice trembling.
Sanzu only grins wider, stepping closer until the cold barrel of his gun rests under your chin again. He tilts your head up, forcing you to meet his manic gaze.
âYou really donât get it, do you?â he purrs, voice sickly sweet. âYou stopped being in control the second you thought you could defy us.â
Ran sighs, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve. âEnough playing around. Letâs go.â
Then, without warning, they grab you, forcing you forward. You stumble, the cold air prickling against your exposed skin.
You go down the halls, then down the stairs. And when the doors swing openâŚ
Mikey is waiting.
You expect to be slapped, beaten, punched, but no. He doesnât do any of that. Instead, he brings you out into the cold, dark night. Seeing the dark forest in front of you reminded you of the escape attempts.
His touch is rough, unforgiving. He releases you from his grip and pushes you out past the threshold. You stare out at the forest.
The forest is darkâ suffocatingly so. The thick cluster of leaves letting small traces of moonlight through the dense branches. The air is damp and thick with the scent of earth, soil and death. The smell was the kind of smell that holds onto you and makes itself at home in your lungs.Â
The ground beneath you is uneven. Gnarled underground roots and damp leaves creating uneven bumps all over the ground. And the twisted branches reaching out reminded you of skeleton fingers. They cast jagged shadows that dance with the faint flickers of movement, frightening you everytime.
A cold wind howls through the trees, rattling the leaves as if itâs whispering, as if the forest itself is alive. Like itâs watching, waiting. The deeper you go, the more the atmosphere changes. With every step it grows colder, heavier, pressing in around you like an invisible force. The path, if there ever was one, has long since disappeared, swallowed by tangled undergrowth and thorny brambles that snag at your skin, leaving behind thin, stinging cuts.
Itâs silent. But the silence isnât empty. Itâs laced with something, something just out of reach. The kind of silence that prickles at the back of your neck, that coils in your stomach like a warning. Itâs the kind of darkness that doesnât just hide things. It feels like itâs swallowing them whole.
You could barely see anything through the darkness, but those are the things you remembered from the many times you ran through the forest. It was kind of like your second home at that point.Â
Nonetheless, you were still far too shocked from before.
âW-what the hell d-d-do you want me to doâŚ?â you ask, shivering since the sheer clothing didnât do much in shielding you from the cold.
âGo. If you wanted to create such a huge scene, then do it. Run. Weâre letting you have one last attempt.â Mikey responds coldly, completely inconsiderate of the situation you were put in before.
âW-whatâŚ?â you ask again. What the hell?
He lets out a loud, disappointing sigh before coming closer to your fallen form. âGo have one last run around the forest before we chain you up.â he pauses before crouching down to meet your eyes. âI have Sanzu, Takeomi, Kokonoi, Ran, Rindou, Mochi and Kakucho waiting out there for you. Once youâre done with your shenanigans, theyâre going to bring you back.â
âH-huhâŚ?â you stare at him in disbelief. âI-I-I-â
âYou-you-you what?â
âI donât want toâŚâ
âDidnât you hear me? Have one last run, go. Iâm not repeating myself anymore.â he says with a finger softly stroking your cheek.
âI-I donât want to⌠I want to stay with you⌠MikeyâŚâ you say defeatedly.
Mikeyâs eyes darken. Something shifts. The moment of forced gentleness vanishes like a wisp of smoke, replaced by something colder, sharper.
His fingers, once ghosting along your cheek, suddenly tangle in your hairâand then he yanks. Hard. Your head snaps back, a sharp gasp escaping your lips as pain blooms along your scalp.
âYou want to stay with me?â he echoes, voice eerily calm, but thereâs a quiet rage simmering beneath it, barely restrained. His grip tightens, pulling your face inches from his. âAfter all that fucking running? After making us chase you down like some pathetic little stray?â
His lips curl, disgust flashing in his darkened gaze. âYou really think saying that now is gonna change anything?â He tugs again. âDonât act helpless now, sweetheart. You werenât so eager to stay when you were trying to claw your way out of here.â
He leans in, voice dropping to a whisper, but itâs anything but gentle. Itâs venomous. âGo run. Make it fun for us. Or do you want me to drag you out there myself?â
âN-no⌠please. I just want to stay with you⌠Iâm sorry.â you pant, shooting pleading eyes up at him in hopes heâll give in.
âFine. Letâs just go back in.â he says, almost too easily. Mikey wasnât one to be persuaded easily.Â
Mikey doesnât say anything as he yanks you forward, his grip bruising against your skin. The night air still lingers on your body, cold and sharp, but it does nothing to stop the suffocating heat crawling up your spine as you step inside. The door slams shut behind you, cutting off the outside world, the last sliver of freedom you had, and replacing it with the suffocating presence of them.
They werenât outside. They werenât waiting. They were here all along.
Sanzu is just sitting lazily in a chair, spinning the gun used to traumatize you between his fingers. Takeomi leans against the wall, arms crossed, expression unreadable. Ran and Rindou are smirking, eyes filled with condescension, like they already knew how this would play out. Mochi says nothing, his presence alone enough to make the room feel smaller. Kakucho stands at the back, watching, always watching.
You feel sick.
The weight of their stares presses down on you, suffocating, humiliating. Because Mikey never intended for you to run. No, he actually let you go. Gave you the chance to run⌠because he knew you wouldnât.
Because you couldnât.
And now, standing in front of them, exposed and weak, it finally hits you.
You never had a chance.
Not against them.
Not against him.
And now, you were right where they wanted you. They had predicted you didnât want to do it.Â