Run | HeeSunSun - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

As they sped down the street, Sunghoon suddenly cut a sharp turn into a narrow alleyway, the bike’s tires skidding slightly against the gravel.
He killed the engine and hopped off without a word, walking toward a chained metal door like this was all planned.
Sunoo scrambled off the bike, eyes narrowing. "I thought we were getting away?"
"Getting away? From Heeseung?" Sunghoon’s laugh was low and mocking as he pulled a key from his pocket and fiddled with the padlock. "You’re funny."
"Sunghoon," Sunoo snapped, his tone edged with panic. "You said you’d help me and I- that’s the only reason I followed you!"
The padlock clicked open, and Sunghoon turned to face him, the faintest smirk curling at his lips. "And I AM helping you."
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, throwing the comment over his shoulder like it was obvious. "You just don’t understand how things work yet."
Sunoo hesitated before following, his chest tightening with a mix of distrust and desperation. "How can you say I can’t get away from him without even trying?"
Sunghoon let out a dry laugh as he descended a short flight of stairs, flipping on a dim light that buzzed weakly overhead. "Who said I didn’t try?"
"You did?" Sunoo shot back, watching Sunghoon’s every move.
"Not me," Sunghoon said, his voice dropping. "My sister."
The room at the bottom of the stairs came into view—a small, bunker-like space that reeked of neglect.
Clothes were strewn everywhere, boxes stacked haphazardly in corners, and half-eaten food containers cluttered a tiny counter.
It was chaos, but it felt strangely… lived in.
Sunghoon shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto a couch that looked like it had seen better days.
He dropped onto it heavily, spreading his arms over the backrest as if he owned the damn place- oh wait, he did.
Sunoo stayed near the doorway, his eyes darting around. "Your sister?"
"Yeah," Sunghoon muttered, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. "Heeseung saw her, then she and Heeseung played one of his little 'games'. She didn’t make it out."
The words hit like a punch, and for a moment, Sunoo didn’t know what to say. "I’m… sorry..." he managed finally, his voice softer now.
Sunghoon snorted, running a hand through his hair. "Don’t be. What happened to her is done. I couldn’t save her, so I signed up for his stupid little guard squad. Figured maybe I could do something for someone else. Even if it’s just dragging them out of the mess before it’s too late." His eyes flicked to Sunoo, unreadable. "Like you."
Sunoo’s shoulders tensed. "And what? Y-You think hiding me in this dump is going to work? You just said no one can get away from him."
"This 'dump' is your best shot." Sunghoon waved a hand lazily. "Heeseung’s obsessive, sure, but he’s not a genius. He doesn’t waste time chasing ghosts. Keep quiet, stay low, and he’ll get bored eventually."
Sunoo slowly made his way to the couch, sinking into the other end with reluctance.
The cushion sagged under him, surprisingly comfortable despite its appearance.
"What makes you so sure?" he asked, glancing sideways at Sunghoon.
"Because I’ve seen it," Sunghoon said simply, his tone flat. "I’ve been around long enough to know how his brain works. It’s all power plays and showmanship. You don’t give him a stage, and he’s got no play to show."
Sunoo frowned, still unconvinced. "And your sister? What happened to her?"
Sunghoon shifted uncomfortably, his jaw tightening. "She was stupid enough to trust him. Thought he actually cared. By the time she realized what he was, it was too late."
A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the faint hum of the overhead light.
"I’m sorry, again." Sunoo said quietly.
Sunghoon let out a bitter chuckle, his lips curling into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Yeah, well. You’ve got your own shit to worry about."
The silence returned, but this time, it didn’t feel suffocating. Just… there.
Sunghoon stood up abruptly, brushing his hands against his pants. "I’ll go find something to eat." He moved toward the tiny kitchenette, rummaging through cabinets with little care for the noise he made.
Sunoo stayed where he was, glancing around the room with a growing sense of unease.
The place was a mess—clothes piled in corners, empty cans shoved under a table, random papers scattered across the floor.
It wasn’t exactly a safe house; it was more like a forgotten storage room someone decided to live in.
He shifted uncomfortably, pulling his feet up onto the couch and lying down.
His eyes wandered to the ceiling, then to the battered walls, as his mind drifted.
How the hell had it come to this? He’d been living his normal, boring life just days ago.
Now, he was hiding out in some underground bunker with a guy who clearly had his own demons to deal with.
His gaze dropped to his wrist, catching on the watch Heeseung had given him.
The sleek metal glinted faintly in the dim light. 3:52 AM.
"Sorry." Sunghoon’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.
He turned to see the older boy walking back, holding a cup of instant noodles in one hand and a can of beer in the other. "This is all the shit I’ve got left."
Sunoo sat up quickly, reaching for the food with zero complaints. "Thanks." he muttered, cracking open the beer and taking a long sip before digging into the noodles.
The two of them sat in silence, slurping noodles and sipping beer like it was the most normal thing in the world.
When they were done, Sunoo leaned back against the couch, his head feeling fuzzy.
The alcohol was kicking in, and his thoughts started to spill out unfiltered.
"All I wanted… was one, fucking, night, of happiness," he muttered, his words slurring slightly. "And now… now I’m being chased by some fucking mafia leader." He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head.
Sunghoon leaned back too, stretching his legs out. "Nowadays, it’s really hard to get that one fucking night of happiness." he said, almost to himself.
Sunoo turned his head, staring at Sunghoon for a moment before scoffing. "How about you?"
Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. "What about me?"
"How about…" Sunoo shifted closer, his movements unsteady. His voice dropped, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. "How about you… give me one fucking night of happiness?"
Sunghoon’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he quickly composed himself, his lips curling into an amused smirk. "You’re fucking drunk." he said, leaning in just enough to meet Sunoo’s gaze before shoving him back onto the couch.
Sunoo let out a dramatic wail, throwing his arms over his face like a kid who’d just been denied candy.
Sunghoon sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.
He sat back, shaking his head as he muttered under his breath, "No wonder Heeseung liked you."
Sunoo had eventually dozed off, curled up on the couch with the fan humming gently beside him.
His chest rose and fell slowly, a soft flush on his cheeks from the alcohol, his expression oddly peaceful despite everything.
Sunghoon watched him for a moment, grabbed the cleanest blanket he owned from a pile in the corner, and carefully laid it over him, making sure it covered his arms and legs.
Then he adjusted the fan so it pointed directly at Sunoo’s face, just enough to keep him cool.
After that, Sunghoon stood up, slipped on his gloves, pulled his jacket over his shoulders, tucked a gun into the waistband of his jeans, then grabbed his mask and beanie and left quietly without a word.
He rode back to the mansion alone, the night air stinging against his face and the road feeling colder than usual.
His phone kept buzzing in his pocket, but he didn’t answer until he stopped at the edge of the property.
He glanced at the screen—multiple missed calls and messages from the others, asking where the hell he was, telling him that Heeseung was pissed and that Sunoo had disappeared.
Sunghoon typed back fast, said he was still searching, told them to split up to cover more ground, and made it seem like he was just as frantic as they were.
Once inside the mansion, he moved through the halls like he belonged there.
The place was eerily quiet, no footsteps, no murmurs, nothing.
He made his way toward a room no regular people weren’t allowed in, carefully opened the door, and flicked on the light.
Inside were drawers full of luxury—diamond watches, heavy rings, cash in thick bundles, rare coins, gold necklaces tangled together like a mess of snakes, but he ignored most of it.
His fingers dug through the contents of one specific drawer until he found what he came for—a delicate necklace with a chipped butterfly charm hanging off it.
His sister’s.
The same one she wore every day until the day she vanished.
For a second, everything else disappeared.
He remembered her laughing as she shoved her food into his mouth.
He remembered her hugging him tight before she left for school.
He remembered how she cried in his arms when their mom would scream at her, and how he promised to protect her, always.
His hand tightened around the necklace, and he stuffed it into his pocket.
He turned to leave, his steps quickening.
But he froze when he saw Heeseung standing right there in the doorway, leaning against the frame with one hand in his pocket and the other lazily holding a gun.
"Well, well, well… Look who finally showed up." Heeseung said, his tone mocking, smug.
Behind him were several of their men, all aiming their guns directly at Sunghoon.
Sunghoon didn’t move, barely even breathed.
"You think you’re the main fucking character or something?" Heeseung stepped inside, slowly, like a predator cornering its prey. "You think you were slick hiding him? You thought I wouldn’t find out?" His voice lowered, a cold grin forming. "I know why you’re here. Your sister. Poor girl. Died instantly. Boring as hell. Couldn’t even fight back. She was weak—just like you..."
Sunghoon clenched his fists, chest rising and falling quicker now.
*CLICK* Heeseung cocked the gun, aimed it straight at him.
Without thinking, Sunghoon threw his full weight into the door and slammed it shut.
The gunfire was immediate—deafening, close, bullets tearing through the wood, echoing through the halls like thunder.
He spun around, aimed at the nearest window, fired three shots until the glass shattered, then jumped without hesitation.
*CRACK* The second his body hit the ground, pain exploded through his left arm with a sickening crack.
He couldn’t even scream properly—just a hoarse groan as he rolled onto his side, the world spinning.
Something was broken, maybe dislocated.
His arm wasn’t moving right.
But he couldn’t stop.
Not now.
He scrambled to his feet, cradling the arm against his chest.
More bullets flew out the window behind him, breaking tiles and glass as they hit the walls around him.
He ducked into one of the mansion’s parked cars, found the keys already in, and slammed the door shut behind him.
The windshield cracked the moment a bullet hit it.
He cursed under his breath, twisted the key, slammed on the gas, and tore through the front gate, metal bending and snapping under the car’s weight.
He didn’t care how bad his arm hurt or how loud the gunshots were behind him—he just drove, eyes burning, jaw clenched, and prayed he’d make it back before Sunoo woke up and realized he was gone.
Or before it's too late until Heeseung finds them.
Sunoo groaned as he woke up, his head slightly pounding from the beer but manageable.
He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stumbled to the sink across the room.
Cold water splashed over his face, and he let it drip down his neck before grabbing the cup beside the faucet and chugging water until the wooziness faded.
He wiped his mouth and looked around.
The room was small, still messy, still bunker-like, but he noticed something taped to the wall near the shelf.
He stepped over the piles of clothes and half-open boxes and stared at the photo... Sunghoon, a little younger, smiling wide with his arm wrapped tightly around a small girl with a bow in her hair... probably his sister.
They looked close—unbelievably close.
Sunoo stared at it, and despite everything, he smiled.
For someone like Sunghoon to have this taped up in a dump like this, it had to mean somethin-
*BAM*
The door slammed open.
Sunoo’s heart jumped, and instinctively, he yanked the photo off the wall and stuffed it into his pocket just as Sunghoon staggered in, clutching his left arm, blood dripping from his elbow to his wrist.
"Heeseung... he's here..." Sunghoon said, breathless, stumbling slightly as he reached out.
Sunoo didn’t ask questions.
He rushed to his side, slung Sunghoon’s arm over his shoulder, and they moved fast.
They got to the bike outside, Sunghoon started it, and they barely made it a few meters before-
*BANG*
The back tire exploded.
Sunoo flinched hard, nearly falling off as the bike skidded.
Both turned.
Heeseung was standing there, calm, collected, a handgun in his grasp and several armed men behind him.
His lips curled into a faint smile like he wasn’t even sweating.
"Run." Sunghoon hissed.
They ditched the bike and took off through the nearest alleyway.
The sound of boots thudding behind them, metal clanking, men shouting orders—it was all closing in.
The alley narrowed until Sunghoon suddenly grabbed Sunoo’s wrist.
"It’s a dead end." he said, panting. "I’ll lift you."
Sunoo nodded, and Sunghoon braced himself, hoisting Sunoo up toward the brick wall.
Sunoo scrambled, fingers grabbing the edge, legs slipping, but he made it.
He was about to throw his leg over when-
"SUNOO!"
Heeseung’s voice echoed loud, sharp.
Sunoo froze and looked down.
Heeseung stood at the other end of the alley, gun raised.
Right... at... Sunghoon...
"He’s already lost a sister," Heeseung said casually, stepping closer. "You wouldn’t want him to die too, right?"
"JUST GO!" Sunghoon shouted, face twisted in pain, blood now soaking the side of his jacket.
Heeseung smirked, voice smooth like it always had been. "I’ll let him live. Just… Run… Back… To... Me."
Sunoo stayed still. His fingers clenched the wall. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he looked down at Sunghoon—who shook his head, barely, silently mouthing "No".
The gun didn’t lower.
The air felt heavier.
The decision was his.
And he only had seconds to make it.