(WARNING!)
You already know this, but I'm telling you again that this is 17+.
Somewhere in Seoul, in an apartment, a man was sitting on a chair in the middle of a room that looked as if it was ravaged by a mini-tornado. The man was sitting there like a corpse, his body drooping forward slightly on the chair while staring at his hands that were placed on his lap.
He was an unlucky man; becoming the target of a bully when he was in high school. To make it worse, the bully was the popular kid in the high school, always having his followers consisting of cool, popular, and unkind peers on his sides while receiving love-struck gazes of the girls. He was popular because he had a handsome and devilish face that would make girls blush and boys envy while knowing how to make friends with the right people, making himself gain more strength in the cruel society that was called high school in the process. And, he was tall and had a muscular build that stopped others from contradicting him in anyways.
When the unlucky man was a high school student, he was targeted by the bully when he'd accidentally spilled his lunch over the bully's coat. From that day on, his life instantly turned into a nightmare; being treated like a slave while becoming the bully's punching bag. If he made a single mistake when the bully made him do something, like buying some food from the convenient store, he was instantly got punched or the bully just made his followers do it for him.
When the man had finally graduated high school, he'd thought that his nightmarish life was over and was free to pursue his dream; becoming a musician who plays the guitar and sings.
But it wasn't over.
One day, about three years after graduation, a message came to him from one of the followers of the man who used to be the popular bully in high school. The man who used to be the popular bully had become an idol who was a member of a famous K-pop boy group called 'SuperNova' which had a bad-boy motif while being focused on cool and angsty aspects. But the group had stopped from performing due to some controversies and issues of the members. The message that had sent to the unlucky man contained an invitation to a place and if he didn't come, it was stated that he was going to face consequences.
The memories of being bullied in high school drove him to go to the place where the message had informed about. When he'd arrived there, he found out that it was a night club.
When he'd entered he saw to his horror that the man and the several people who'd followed him in high school were surrounding a woman who was trembling in fear. While being half undressed, they were all laughing at the woman, and her clothes looked as if they were torn by several hands.
Instantly, the unlucky man was detained by two of the followers while being forced to witness the woman being pinned to the ground as her remaining clothes got torn off from her. Then he realized something important. The woman was the actress who played the role of a character named 'Iseul' in a famous drama!
He was then dragged toward her, being surrounded by other people. They'd urged him to rape her, but he'd refused and tried to run away. Instantly, he was met with a series of punches and kicks, their fists and feet hitting him over and over until he finally gave in.
With his clothes pulled off by them, he was forced to take the actress's virginity while tears of misery and guilt filled his eyes as his whole body ached and his consciousness wavered. He was raping a woman against his own will while being negged by people surrounding him, their yells filled with lust that were plowing into his ears driving him insane.
At that moment, his fragile soul that was already in a bad shape due to being bullied for years had shattered completely by unbearable guilt.
From that day on, whenever they called him, he'd to ran to the night club, witnessing other women getting raped by them in front of his eyes. To make things even worse, he had to film videos of the rapes with the phone of the man who used to be the famous bully while receiving abuse and curses from him and his followers. And, the reason why the unlucky man was forced to rape the actress in the first place was to make him an accomplice in order to force him to film videos while making him not report them to the authority. All the people had filmed him when he was forced to rape the actress, so if he called the police on them, they would show the videoes to them and claim that he too was a part of this.
They'd dragged him into a swamp and had made sure that he couldn't escape no matter what. And, they all were holding the evidence that'd definitely get him into prison.
Once again, he was living in a nightmare.
But this time, it was much worse.
He stared down at his hands for a moment longer while remembering what the man who once was a high school bully had said to him after he was forced to rape.
"If you tell one god damning thing about this whole 'business' to the police, my friends and I will show them the videos that we took and say that you too were a part of this." The man had laughed after saying that as if he was enjoying the moment. "We'll make sure that we'll drag you down with us, no, RECEIVE A MUCH WORSE PUNISHMENT if we get caught, so you'd better not tell this to anyone. Now, come to this prestigious club whenever we call you. From now on, you'll be the cameraman."
After that, he'd shouldered past the unlucky man, laughing again while doing so.
"By the way, do you know being rich and famous lets you have connections with important people? Even if we get caught, I'll just contact them to give us lighter punishment. Except you, of course."
The laughter of that cruel, perverted, and manipulative man filled the unlucky man's mind and it seemed to echo around, again and again, forcing him to bury his face in his hands and sob.
"Why . . . Why is this happening to me . . . ?"
He felt as if he was in the cruel man's palm, helpless and weak while being looked down upon and laughed at.
Then, he remembered the actress that he was forced to rape while remembering her screams of pain and agony. He slid down the chair and landed on the ground, his hands still covering his face.
Will I ever be forgiven for what I've done . . . ?
The room echoed with his sobs, making him feel as if he was being surrounded by other people who were living inside their own nightmares.
While this was happening, something was going on in Ahri's apartment. To be more specific, something was going on inside Jeffric's room.
"He looks so cute!" Kai'Sa gushed while observing Jeffric sleeping on his bed.
Akali, Kai'Sa, and Evelynn had visited Ahri's apartment constantly ever since celebrating Jeffric's adulthood. All five of them, including Jeffric, had a lot of good times just hanging out in Ahri's apartment while doing things like playing video games or just eating snacks while chatting.
One time, Jeffric had to act like Evelynn's chair because he accidentally spilled grape juice on her leather skirt that she'd worn at that time.
"Do you know how much this skirt is, hon?" Evelynn had huffed while sitting on Jeffric's back and crossing her arms.
Jeffric wasn't a strong person and he had to be in a push-up position at that moment, so his arms and legs were trembling as if they were about to fail at any moment.
"I-I'm sorry, E-Evelynn!" Jeffric gasped while his eyes trembled in their sockets due to exhaustion and fear. "P-Please . . . C-Can I g-go—?"
Evelynn had stopped him in mid-sentence by pressing the claw that was attached to her trigger finger onto the back of his neck, making him yelp in pain.
"Hon, this is your punishment so hush. If you speak again, I'll make you pay a fine."
Jeffric had whimpered in fear and stayed quiet.
Ahri, Akali, and Kai'Sa had tried to get Evelynn to forgive him, but she didn't.
A few minutes later, Jeffric had collapsed onto the ground, his body drained of strength, and his collapse made Evelynn fall backward and crash onto the ground on her back.
Ahri still remembered that and she was pretty sure she wouldn't forget about that memory for a while mostly because of the look on Evelynn's face when she'd fallen backward. It was too funny to describe it in words.
Now, all four of them were in Jeffric's room, surrounding his bed while observing Jeffric sleeping. It was 8 AM in the morning, and Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa had just visited her apartment. Ahri was still stressed out by the nightmare she had dreamed while sleeping, but she had put up a smile on her face as if she wasn't suffering at all . . . like she always did in the mornings.
Jeffric hadn't woken up yet, so they decided to observe him sleeping.
To Ahri's relief, Jeffric was sleeping peacefully. It seemed that he wasn't having a nightmare like yesterday night.
Akali pressed a finger on Jeffric's cheek carefully. Jeffric murmured while moving his head slightly. She pressed her finger on the cheek again. Jeffric moved again while groaning silently.
"Yeah, I agree with you, Bokkie," Akali said while barraging Jeffric with her finger. Jeffric curled into a ball slightly as if to block himself from the thing that was bombarding his cheek.
"Oh, stop it Akali," Ahri said while staring worriedly at Jeffric's sleeping face, "you might wake him up."
"Oops, sorry." Akali smiled guiltily while stopping what she was doing.
Evelynn studied Jeffric while tapping her chin with her trigger finger, thinking of something. Suddenly, with a cold smile spreading across her face, she pulled the blanket down, uncovering Jeffric's pajama-wearing body, and started to rake lightly on his back with her golden claws.
Jeffric started to whimper softly while his body started to tremble as if he was being scared by something. "Evelynn . . . please . . . let me go . . . I will do anything . . . D-Don't kill me . . ."
"Eve!" Ahri scolded. "Stop doing that. You're making him dream of nightmares!"
"'I'll do anything' . . . ?" Evelynn mused aloud while stop torturing him. Then she leaned forward and whispered into Jeffric's ear. "I guess you're really afraid of me, hon."
Kai'Sa's hands were both pressed onto her cheeks, her arms supporting the weight of her head with her elbows pressed onto the edge of Jeffric's bed. She was smiling like a girl observing a cute kitten.
"Ahri, he really does resembles you. Are you sure both of you aren't related?"
"I told you already that we took a DNA test after the day we celebrated Jeffric's adulthood," Ahri said while remembering that day. "It turned out that we are 100% not related."
"I still can't believe that you both aren't related at all," Kai'Sa said in an awe-struck voice while continuing to gaze at Jeffric's face.
"Well, there is a difference," Akali spoke in a confident voice. "While Foxy here—" she gestured at Ahri "— is on the beautiful side, the little guy here—" she gestured at Jeffric's sleeping body "—is on the cute side!"
"Cute," Ahri whispered that word under her breath.
She stared at Jeffric's now peaceful face, while the word 'cute' repeated in her mind. She'd thought of that word when she'd seen him for the first time, which was in a hamburger store. Whenever she saw Jeffric, that word kept on repeating in her mind.
She couldn't and had no reason to deny that Jeffric was cute. She remembered his cute and innocent smiles, his embarrassed expressions that made her smile, and his adorable laughter that made her heart race. She remembered his pair of green eyes; filled with pureness and kindness while a tinge of sadness was shown deep inside them. She remembered those eyes staring at her, always filling with awe and wonder whenever she was in their sights.
He was always a cure for her nightmares. Whenever she saw him in the mornings, the memories of her nightmares dissipated as if Jeffric was a beam of sunlight driving off the darkness of the night.
Those thoughts made her heart beat faster and faster while feeling her cheeks getting warmer. She pressed a hand on her chest just above the heart, trying to subside it while smiling down at the adorable and youthful male who looked more like a girl than a boy with his long brown hair and his facial resemblance with her face.
"Ara ara . . ." She whispered softly. Then, realizing what she'd just said, covered her mouth with both of her hands while her eyes grew wide in horror.
But it was too late.
Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa turned their heads toward Ahri, expressions of utter shock forming on Akali and Kai'Sa's faces while Evelynn just raised her right eyebrow.
"Ah-Ahri . . ." Akali said in a shocked voice. "I didn't know that you were into anime too . . ."
"And I didn't know that you were a . . . shotacon," Kai'Sa spoke in the same manner as she started to step backward.
"Quick! Call the police!" Akali shouted at Evelynn while winking at her, indicating that she was just merely joking.
"Got it," Evelynn answered while pulling out her smartphone from her pocket, smiling coldly back at Akali, making Akali wonder if she was serious.
"N-No! Please, d-don't!" Ahri yelled while her face grew pale. "I'm not a shotacon nor a pedophile! A-And, Jeffric is legal!"
"But he looks like a shota!" Akali said while smiling teasingly. "So it kinda counts."
"I-I . . . uh . . ." Ahri looked around wildly. Then, her eyes settled on Evelynn.
"E-Evelynn! Please don't call the police!" Ahri begged while falling onto her knees and giving Evelynn the puppy dog eyes while clasping both of her hands.
Evelynn caressed her chin thoughtfully. Then the cold smile came back to her face. "I won't call the police . . . if Akali kisses my forehead."
"Wait, WHAT?!"
Akali stumbled back, shocked at what she'd just heard.
Ahri instantly leaped at Akali like a fox on its prey. Before Akali could even react, she'd grabbed her right arm.
"Quickly, Bokkie, grab her left arm!" She yelled.
"Yes, ma'am." Kai'Sa instantly grabbed Akali's left arm after skipping to her.
"W-Wait a second!" Akali started to struggle against Ahri and Kai'Sa, but because of Kai'Sa's strength and height and Ahri's firm grip, she couldn't get out of their grasps. She could try using martial art to get out, but she feared that she'd hurt them in the process.
Both Ahri and Kai'Sa dragged the struggling body of Akali in front of Evelynn.
"Kai'Sa, weren't you on my side?!" Akali cried out in the middle of the struggle.
Kai'Sa just shrugged while smiling. "I'm in the middle."
The commotion made Jeffric wake up. After blinking several times, he sat upright while yawning and stretching his arms upwards as he groaned.
"Wh-What's going on . . . ?" He asked groggily.
"Now, kiss her forehead, Akali!" Ahri yelled while both she and Kai'Sa pushed her in front of Evelynn while still not letting her go.
"No way!" Akali struggled even more while an expression of horror filled her face.
Jeffric blinked.
"Uhh . . . What's happening . . . ?"
"Oh, come on, Rogue. Are you actually scared to kiss me on the forehead?" Evelynn crossed her arms while half closing her eyes and smiling slyly as if to show that she was amused.
"N-No I'm not!"
"Yes, you are, Rogue." Evelynn leaned closer to Akali, their faces almost touching while their eyes bored into each other even though Evelynn was wearing her pair of round and purple sunglasses. "Or should I call you a 'scaredy-cat'?"
Akali puffed out her cheeks in refusal.
"A-Alright! I'll kiss your forehead . . ."
Then, she squeezed her eyes shut, leaned forward, quickly kissed Evelynn on the forehead and then straightened up again, still having her eyes shut tight.
Ahri and Kai'Sa released Akali who instantly fell onto the ground on her knees, just like Ahri a moment ago, while covering her face with both of her hands.
"I can't believe I just did that . . ." She moaned in distress.
Evelynn just laughed silently while putting her smartphone back into her pocket, making Ahri feel relieved.
Jeffric blinked in confusion. Then, he laid down on his bed and covered his whole body, including his head, with his blanket. He decided that the things he'd just witnessed were all a weird dream, and he was going to wake up at any moment.
Ahri noticed this, and quickly pulled the blanket away from him, making him yelp in surprise.
"Come on, Jeffric darling!" Ahri said enthusiastically. "Time to eat breakfast."
"N-No thank you . . ." Jeffric answered nervously while glancing at Ahri with unease. "I-I need to wake up from this dream, you see . . ."
Evelynn sat down on the edge of the bed, smiling down at him while crossing her legs and licking her lips threateningly.
"Oh, but Jeffric, hon," she drawled, "this isn't a dream, so you should better get out of bed . . . or else."
Jeffric, now realizing this wasn't a dream, whimpered fearfully as his eyes opened wide with fright.
"Eve!" Ahri scolded her. "Don't scare him, please!"
Evelynn smiled cooly while raising both of her hands to show her that she'll stop.
After she glared at the diva, Ahri turned her head to smile at Jeffric who still had a fearful look on his face.
"Let's have breakfast, Jeffric," she said in a comforting voice.
We all had breakfast in the big dining room. Akali had brought some spicy cups of ramyun with her, and I gotta say that they were tasty. I fished, metaphorically, some noodles out of the cup with my pair of wooden chopsticks and inhaled them. Then, I started chewing, savoring the spicy taste and then gulped down.
"This is so delicious, Akali!" I said while beaming at her and waving the wooden chopsticks that I was holding to emphasize my point. "You're the best."
She smiled proudly, placing her fist on her chest to show how proud she was of herself.
"I know the best ramyun noodles in the market! After all, I'm a ramyun enthusiast."
"By being an enthusiast, she might get fat someday," Kai'Sa whispered at me jokingly while winking.
"H-Hey!" Akali said while glaring at Kai'Sa who was now giggling. "I do a lot of workouts to not get fat!"
Evelynn laughed her usual cold laugh after she drank a cup of milk.
"You do a lot of workouts, Akali, I know that. But, can you please decrease the noises that you make whenever you're doing it? I could hear the sounds of your huffing and puffing even in my room."
"W-Wait, you both live in the same apartment?" I asked while looking at Akali and Evelynn in surprise. I was sure that Akali was rich enough to rent or even buy an apartment.
"Yes, hon," Evelynn answered while nodding.
"But why?"
Evelynn looked accusingly at Akali who whistled nervously.
"Because she says that she is too lazy to rent an apartment by herself."
"Well, at least I clean your place for you . . ." Akali answered nervously while fidgeting slightly.
". . . and then, you broke my vacuum cleaner."
Now sweat trickled down Akali's forehead while she siped the soup of the cup ramyun, as if to postpone her answer. Then she placed the cup ramyun on the table while nervously eyeing Evelynn who had her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.
"I'll pay for it . . ." She answered while giving the terrifying and the cold woman a trembling smile.
Evelynn sighed like a person who was trying to keep the frustration from showing.
"Rogue, you broke my vacuum cleaner two weeks ago."
"A-Alright, guys!" Ahri interfered while laughing nervously. "Let's finish our cups of ramyun. I mean, we don't want them to get cold, right?"
We all nodded and continued eating.
After we finished eating out cups of ramyun, we brushed our teeth. By the time I finished, it was already around 9:30 AM. I'd changed the time schedule, so now, I'd to go to the small art academy until 10 AM and get out at 12 PM.
"So, I must be going now, Ahri," I said while putting on my sneakers and slinging over my backpack. "I'll be back after 6 PM."
Ahri tilted her head slightly sideways with a confused look on her face.
"Why are you coming back so late?"
"Oh . . . uh . . . it's . . . adult business!" I said while smiling nervously. The truth was, I had gotten myself a parttime job at a convenient store. But I didn't want to tell her that because she might not be pleased.
I waved goodbye at the members of K/DA who all waved back at me. Then, I opened the door and walked out of Ahri's apartment.
"Adult business?" Evelynn asked in an amused voice. "I wonder what that means."
Ahri frowned slightly in confusion. "Me too."
"Maybe you should find out what that is," Akali called out.
Akali and Kai'Sa were watching their favorite drama on TV while sitting on the sofa.
Ahri nodded slowly. "Yeah . . . I should."
I entered the small building, hitched a ride on the elevator and went up to the second floor. Then, I walked through the hallway until I was in front of the door of the small art academy. I opened the door and entered, smiling broadly.
"Hello, ma'am! I'm here—" I stopped in the middle of my sentence and stared at somebody that was standing in front of me, not believing my eyes. I blinked. Then, horror spread like wildfire inside me as my eyes grew wide. No, it didn't spread like a wildfire. It spread like a deadly virus that could kill people by the thousands.
No . . . No, please god . . . Wh-What is she doing here?!
At that moment, I remembered how cruel fate was in life.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
Finally, the dreaded name came out from my mouth as my legs started to tremble like a tree that was about to topple down to the ground.
"R-R-R-Riven . . . ?" I said, and I heard my voice trembling uncontrollably.
I couldn't believe it. When I was finally living a happy life . . .
The past had caught up with me.
(A/N)
"Arm yourself, a storm is coming. Well, kid, what you gonna do now?"—A lyric from the Worlds 2019 song, Phoenix
Oh, and Merry Christmas and I hope that this chapter didn't ruin your mood :)