Chapter 13

"I told you to stay out of my way!" Changbin's sharp voice echoes through the kitchen.

"You're the one in my way!" Chris retaliates, his anger palpable in the air. "I was here first!"

I sense that without intervention, this confrontation will escalate into physical violence—especially considering one is an assassin and the other a gang leader. It's a volatile mix.

"You don't own the damn kitchen!" Changbin snaps back, his eyes filled with pure animosity towards Chris. There's no hint of respect between them. They couldn't even cooperate for a few hours.

"This mansion is huge, yet I still ran into you," Chris retorts, attempting to maintain a calm tone that's quickly slipping away.

"This stupid mansion ain't big enough for the both of us," Changbin declares, his voice struggling to remain composed. "Such a waste of brick."

"Hey..." Minho interjects softly, hurt evident in his tone at Changbin's comment.

"Sorry." Changbin immediately apologizes to Minho before refocusing on Chris.

"Come on, guys..." Hyunjin intervenes, his voice laced with concern, clearly wanting to avoid further escalation. "Just separate and take a breather."

Changbin rolls his eyes, unable to hold back his next words. "Maybe if this guy over here was a decent assassin, I wouldn't need to reprimand him so often."

Chris's temper flares at Changbin's words, and he steps forward. "Is that what you're doing? Reprimanding?"

"Chris..." Felix interjects nervously, trying to diffuse the tension. "Don't say something you'll regret—"

But Chris ignores Felix's plea, a smirk playing on his lips as he advances toward Changbin, disregarding Felix's advice. "Reprimanding? Is that what you call it?"

A sinister chuckle escapes Chris as he glances around the room, then fixes his gaze on Changbin, his eyes filled with a dangerous intensity.

"Chris..." Felix tries again, his voice tinged with urgency, but Chris is beyond reasoning. Felix's hands tremble slightly, and he appears torn, as if he wants to step forward and intervene but is unsure how to proceed.

Chris leans in close to Changbin, his sly smirk still intact. "Because I recall a jealous little kid who couldn't handle being in the shadow of the mere adopted son."

The tension in the room becomes palpable as Chris delivers his cutting words. I glance around and see shock etched on everyone's faces, as if they're witnessing something unbelievable. They all seem to be privy to a piece of history that I'm not, one that involves the complicated relationship between Chris and Changbin.

My own legs start to tremble as I observe the expression on Changbin's face. His anger seems to worsen, if that's even possible. It's as though he's on the brink of snapping, ready to murder someone right this moment, given the chance.

"You want to repeat that?" Changbin's voice slices through the air, his tone sharp, his lips curling into a terrifying smirk. "I don't think I quite heard you."

Chris chuckles, taking a step back as he scans Changbin up and down with an amused glint in his eyes. "What are you going to do? Hit me?" He looks around, then returns his gaze to Changbin, clearly attempting to provoke him further. "Isn't that all you're good for? Couldn't cut it as an assassin..." He trails off, gesturing towards the floor and then back up to Changbin's eyes. "So you settled for the next best thing, huh?" Chris leans in, his voice dropping to a whisper, though it's loud enough for everyone to hear. "And what are foolish gang members known for? Oh yeah, that's right. Just hitting."

Chris grins as he leans back, eliciting gasps from everyone present. They hadn't expected Chris to push things this far, but he did. While I always assumed Changbin might let things escalate out of control despite initiating them, I never thought Chris would stoop to the same level.

I watch as Changbin's face flushes a bright red with pent-up rage. He can't contain it any longer. His fist clenches, and I see Chris doing the same.

"Why, you little—" Changbin begins to raise his fist, moving forward, while Chris mirrors his action.

Han and Felix react swiftly, moving to restrain them. They both manage to pull them back just in time, preventing any blows from being exchanged. Chris may be a trained assassin, and from the look of him, he seems capable of delivering a devastating punch. On the other hand, Changbin is the leader of a notorious gang—there's no doubt he's not one to shy away from a fight. There's no way he wouldn't fight someone to death.

"Let go of me!" Changbin struggles against Han's grip.

"I'm not finished!" Chris protests, attempting to break free from Felix's hold.

Despite Han and Felix exerting all their strength, Chris and Changbin appear far more powerful, making it difficult for them to restrain the two. It's an uncommon sight to witness Chris and Changbin in such a state of agitation, and it's undeniably unsettling.

"It's not worth it!" Felix shouts over Chris's protests, still grappling to keep him in check.

"Don't let this one encounter consume you!" Han adds, attempting to reason with Changbin. "Just brush off what he said! You've always been able to do that before!"

"This time is different!" Changbin's voice cuts through the chaos, his tone rough, bordering on psychotic. I can't even imagine I.N speaking like this. A rough voice that's deeply unsettling. "I'm going to slice that pretty little face of his!"

I inhale sharply, taking a step back. Changbin's words are chilling, a stark departure from his usual demeanor. Glancing over at I.N, I see him frozen in place. It's evident he's never witnessed Changbin in such a state. He's unusually silent, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead as he takes in the scene.

"And how do you plan to do that, huh?" Chris retorts, his voice laced with the same unsettling intensity as Changbin's. "You're just a street thug, not an assassin!"

Each time Chris makes that jab, it seems to strike a nerve with Changbin. I can't help but feel that Chris does it deliberately, provoking Changbin to elicit a reaction, to demonstrate his lack of fear.

"Calm down, Chris!" Felix interjects firmly, maintaining his hold on Chris's arms.

Chris remained unyielding & despite Han's attempts to persuade Changbin, he wasn't stopping either. It wasn't until Minho stepped forward, his expression a mixture of pure anger and annoyance, that the chaos finally subsided. "ENOUGH!"

His voice reverberated through the entire mansion, commanding attention as everyone turned to look at Minho. His seriousness was palpable, almost intimidating.

"I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH!" He continued to shout, his tone unwavering, before lowering it slightly as he surveyed the room. "We're all here for one purpose only—to fulfill an order Seungmin gave us. An order we must see through to the end!"

Taking a deep breath, Minho maintained eye contact with both Chris and Changbin, attempting to instill a sense of guilt with his words.

"How would Seungmin feel if he knew we disappointed him because his friends couldn't get along?" Casting a glance at everyone present, he shifted his gaze to the floor. "After everything Seungmin has done for us... Do we really want to jeopardize his trust over something so trivial?"

Minho lifted his head, his resolve unwavering. "I am so sick and tired of this same nonsense every time you all meet."

A heavy sigh escaped Minho as he reflected on the situation, sadness clouding his features. He was trying to suppress his emotions, trying not to dwell too much on Seungmin.

"I want both of you to end this conflict," he continued, his gaze stern as he directed his words at Chris and Changbin. "And pretend nothing was said here."

With that, Minho left the kitchen and disappeared into the hallway, likely heading to bed.

After a prolonged silence filled with awkward tension, Felix and Han released their grip on Chris and Changbin, signaling that it was safe to do so. Despite the lingering anger, both Chris and Changbin withdrew from Felix and Han's grasp, their gazes locked in a silent battle.

"I hope you two take Minho's words to heart." Felix said, hoping to diffuse the tension in the air with a gentle scolding.

"Remember, we're doing this for Seungmin." Han added quietly.

With that, Chris and Changbin remained silent, indicating an end to the confrontation. All they had to do now was maintain their distance.

...

But the fighting did not end.

Over the next couple of days, the arguing persisted. While not as intense as that initial confrontation, it was clear that Chris and Changbin still couldn't stand each other. Even Minho had given up on trying to mediate. The only thing keeping everyone somewhat sane was the anticipation of Seungmin's letter, indicating the next phase of the plan. However, the wait was testing everyone's patience. Every time Chris and Changbin engaged in yet another argument, the rest of them simply tuned out the noise, focusing solely on awaiting Seungmin's instructions.

On a particular day, I found myself stepping onto the balcony just as Chris and Changbin concluded another heated exchange. Changbin stormed past me in anger, retreating back into the house.

Chris leaned against the railing, letting out a sigh. "I really wish you wouldn't see this side of me."

Approaching him, I couldn't help but feel saddened by the continuous strife between them. Leaning against the railing beside him, I looked up at him, contemplating the situation. Having Chris and Changbin under the same roof seemed like a mistake, but I had learned from my time at the underground mansion that avoiding problems only made them worse. Confrontation was often the best solution for all parties involved, something both Chris and Changbin seemed to overlook.

"If I may ask..." I paused, gathering my thoughts. It wasn't mere curiosity driving my question; it felt necessary to address the underlying tension. "Why do you and Changbin harbor so much animosity towards each other?"

His gaze met mine briefly, a knowing grin appearing on his face as he realized the question was inevitable. Turning his gaze forward again, he took a moment to collect his thoughts. The sky was transitioning to dusk, the distant hooting of owls filling the air. I held my breath, nerves fluttering within me.

With one final deep breath, he revealed the truth.

"Changbin and I are..."

He paused, his voice trailing off momentarily before he continued.

"Cousins."

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