CHAPTER 16: In Which Everything Goes....

 HO-SEOK POV

"Damnit!"

I was one second away from murdering, Bella.

By murder I meant, I was this close to making it look like a natural accident, but then I didn't succeed because, by the time I'm done, my ass might have suffered the same jail fate as Jaeyoung.

Incredibly ridiculous.

That girl had a sense of humor, all right, and it was a shitty one.

Pain in the ass? Full definition? Rashford Isabella.

During my stay at K25, all my patience had been tested, toppled, and stamped that the minute I left that damned building, it felt like a walkout from hell, torture, anguish, to a walk into heaven, victory, and peace.

Even the air that nearly choked me to death there, now worked mysteriously, releasing every blocked windpipe and transferring me into tranquility.

That's it. Bella, could not be my shoot partner. I would murder her, and then Jimin would murder me for staining my precious hand with her toxic blood.

Or I might end up behind bars. Another career ruined.

History repeating itself.

All through the practice, something dark unfurled in my stomach. My PTSD kicked in. If there should be one thing I hated most, that should be leaving at a crucial moment, in the middle of something. But right now I don't care. Fuck Jason and Kingsley. They should handle the rest.

Pain in the ass? That's an understatement. That girl would be the death of me.

My minutes of human patience had worn out and there wasn't any assurance I was renewing it. I rather leave than do something I might regret later.

 🍁🍁🍁🍁

My stomach tensed as I stepped into the hugely architectural building of the "Pathfinders Academy" to have a pre-talk with a few of the school scholars.

In my years in the professionalism field, I had never once reopened nor talked about my old younger career. Talk about being a professional, and I wasn't about to start now.

Our pre-shooting tutorial class kicked off with agility and stability fueling in me as I took in my scholars' shooting skills. Pathfinders Academy was one of the best schools in the city of Canada. The perfect intuition to catch them young.

An Academy that guides kids and youngsters, and helps them discover their dreams and careers at such a younger age.

I was surprised when the school Dean rang me up and requested to take the younger scholars on a pre-talk about life as a state defense. Right now I'm showing them how it's done with three progressions.

For beginners, the first lesson was tough since it was about gun safety and range rules followed by basic fundamentals of gun marksmanship to familiarize the use of guns, zeroing was the very first activity to be introduced. Next was to apply what was a necessary sight to use at a particular distance of up to twenty-five meters.

By the time I was done with half of the shooting tutorials. My scholars were already out of breath, and I couldn't be any prouder seeing the twenty-one different scholars whose ages ranged from 10-15 had chosen and picked the Defense Academy forms. I realized what I was doing was just the tip of the iceberg, before winter, half of them might be students of the Defense Academy.

"In every training, there's always room for improvement not just for your own sake but to the benefit of your family, friends, relatives, and VIPs to secure and protect them from harm and embarrassment, and whatever morals you are impacted at the Academy, will always be a guide for life."

My eyes settled on the green-eyed nine-year-old boy with his swoosh hairstyle. The youngest of them all, Divine Avalon.

"Why do you choose Defence at this age?" A tiny furrow creased my brows and the boy still before giving me a compulsive answer.

"I love my country and I want to protect everyone, my family, friends, and someone." He cooed

I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on a different memory, that was me as CIS agent until the red stain reappeared, then retreated. Everything, anger, fear, and worry coalesced into a block in my stomach. Maybe I wasn't good enough.

I ruffled Divine's hair, forcing a smile to beamed through. After all, I had been living under a fake smile.

"You are a patriotic citizen. Full of consideration."

Divine flashed me a genuine thankful smile and I pulled away.

While others were been considerate at a younger age to protect the people they love and care for, I couldn't fathom why a certain someone would ruin the one they said they love. But then I remembered life happens.

Life is unpredictable, and maybe I wasn't protective enough. One moment we feel great and the next day broken. One moment I was a young lad full of dreams, and one moment I fulfilled my dreams. One I know my place in the world, protecting the people and bringing justice to them that deserved, hunting down bad guys. Then life happens, only for it to get turned upside down. The hunter became the hunted just by the appearance of a certain someone.

Wasn't it funny how one moment could change a person's life?

Ranks and badges were stripped off. Career ruined, dreams shattered, reputation stained.

Life sometimes comes like a mighty flood, and nothing could prepare one for what it brings.

A melodic giggle rippled out followed by a cheerful "Ouch, sorry!" at my back when I felt someone bumped into me.

"Watch your back, Princess favorite." Divine gasps.

I slowly turned around, staring down at the cutest face ever seen. A beautiful monolid eye blinked at me, and at that moment I felt my world stood still like an event was about to unfold. Blood streamed from my veins like I'd known her from Adam.

Carefully, I bent down, taking into the prettiest face staring at me. Something like shock radiating from her eyes that robbed me of breath. And why is my heart drumming with regret?

"Hi," I managed to choke out a word to the probably five-year-old girl whose gaze had me on chokehold, resurrecting my internal battle going on inside like I was being judged.

"Hello." The little cutie drawled, almost with shock.

"This is a pre-shooting tutorial class, you shouldn't be here, Princess favorite."

Before I could protest, Divine already tugging her away from my observation.

"Mummy said I can do anything I want." She fought back sprightly.

"This is not a dance class, neither drama nor music class!" Divine exclaimed.

"And who says I can't fit in any?" She cooed, frisky fighting to free herself from his hold.

For a nine years and probably five years old siblings bickering.

Siblings? Annoying angels.

I watched as they were vivaciously bickering. They looked lovely at the same time.

Then something caught my attention. It didn't hit me until the moment Divine grasped her hand, trying to pull her away that was when I saw a flash of gold bracelet.

Dread and shock circled at the base of my spine and flamed their wings, enveloping me in their dark embrace.

I grasped her hand and pulled her closer, studying the bracelet. "Hey, I love your bracelet." I tried faking another smile to avoid creeping someone's innocent child out.

A lot had happened today that was enough to break me, and it sank deep into my bones.

"Yeah! It's a gift from, Mum." She giggled, gaily waggling her bracelet-adorned wrist to my face.

Speaking of, Mum.

"Anna!Anna!!! Your Mum is here." Divine swiftly shook her away from me before I could register her words.

The cutie chirps, topping off with a ballerina spin.

"I love my country and I want to protect everyone, my family, friends, and someone." Divine's words echoed in my head.

I remembered Divine's words, but the funny thing. I'm not the danger he was thinking.

I gave a subtle shake of my head when the Anna girl was taken away by her Mother, a young lady in her middle twenties, I wanted to run after them but I couldn't.

"Bye, Mr." She waved at me, whilst sticking her tongue playfully at Divine, followed by another giggle.

Everything failed silent. My heartbeat, my pulse, the voice of my scholars and everyone under the building.

I knew the answer to that bracelet. A part of me wished it wasn't true but reality hit me harder than an Asian Mother's slippers.

I hoped it wasn't true but my hope died as reality hit me.

There was only one initial, and one person meant to wear that bracelet. That bracelet wasn't just a random bracelet. It was specifically designed by me, and set to Tiffany jewelry brands, and I owned that design because it was special to me. Meant to be worn by her, and her alone.

She can donate everything we had shared to charity organizations, but not that bracelet.

"For fuck sake, that's a symbol of our love. Hope, Bella. Hope."

I excused myself and heaved to the restroom. Regret, and rage, rolling from the depth of my stomach.