The Fall of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 2) (25 page)

He was quiet for a while before he spoke again.
 
“
You know,” he murmured, his eyes shifting from the city and then onto her. “You remind me of her…
”
 

Yoori turned back to him. Tension overwhelmed her senses.
 How was she supposed to react to that? Luckily for Yoori, she didn’t have to say anything. Ji Hoon had already continued, an expression of guilt outlining his countenance. The contents of his words created more anxiety for her.

“I lied to you when I told you that you didn’t resemble her in the least bit.”

Yoori began to shake like a leaf. It wasn’t because of the cold wind. Swallowing thickly, she was quiet as he went on.

“
You
do
look like her. In every way possible, you resemble her.” He laughed to himself, his eyes becoming more vulnerable. “It gets harder every time, you know? When I see you…Every time I see you, my heart skips a beat…like it did when I was around her. Every time I see you, it gets harder and harder to let you go back to Tae Hyun.” 

Ji Hoon allowed himself to fall silent
while he waited for her reply. 

Fighting off the urge to tell him the truth, Yoori blinked in frustration.
 “Why did you lie to me?” was all that she uttered out, her eyes focused on the city before them.

She couldn’t look at him – not when he was beginning to tell the truth and not when she was adamant on not telling him who she really was. She didn’t want to be Soo Jin and she couldn’t tell Ji Hoon because he’d want her back
as
Soo Jin. 

She could tell by this point that his soft eyes were on her. They were waiting, almost begging, for her to look at him.

“There was no point in telling you the truth,” he whispered. “I doubt girls are flattered when they’re told they resemble someone’s ex-girlfriend.” 

“Then why is there a point to tell me the truth now?” She tried to hide the accusatory tone in her voice. She didn’t mean it; she didn’t mean to use such a strong tone with him. She just wanted to continue to act shocked so she didn’t compromise her cover.
 

“Because I can’t stand seeing you with Tae Hyun any longer.”

Though she had anticipated this answer, the vocalization of it did little to ease the growing tension in her heart. She finally turned to him and held his poignant gaze. Her lips trembled to speak but nothing came out. 

Her silence didn’t matter for Ji Hoon had more he wanted to vocally share.
 

“I don’t think it’s a secret that I’ve wanted you since I saw you in that warehouse. It’s also not a secret that I’ve been fighting off the temptation to steal you away from him.”

He drew closer to her, an action that caused her to stiffen up. She wanted to retreat but found herself cemented in her stance. 

“I honestly never thought you’d last with Tae Hyun for that long. I was convinced if I laid low, stood back and allowed you to become attached to me every time we met again, then you’d start to fade from him and come to me.” A frown tugged at his expression. “But every time I see you, it seems that you grow closer and closer to Tae Hyun. It’s like you’re falling
 harder
 
for him everyday.” His voice grew severe, almost possessive. “I don’t like knowing that he gets to touch you when I can’t. I don’t like knowing that he gets to take care of you when I can’t. I don’t like knowing that everyday, it seems like you’re falling harder for him while I fade away in the background. It’s a sickening feeling and I want to end it right now.” 

“Ji –”
 

“
There’s another reason why I’m telling you the truth right now,” Ji Hoon interrupted, saving Yoori from uttering words she had yet to garner.

She was still speechless as to what to say to him.
 

Yoori was quiet
while she listened, her heart and soul scorching with dread. In her mind, she tried to find the best way to vocalize the dreaded answer she wanted to give to him. 

“Soo Jin didn’t die being on Ju Won’s good side,” Ji Hoon stated, acquiring Yoori’s undivided attention.

Her eyes bloomed in fear. 

Noting the panic in her eyes, Ji Hoon went on. “He isn’t showing it but he’s angry –
really
angry. He’s convinced that you’re her and the thought of you being her pisses him off with the passing seconds. He told Tae Hyun that you resemble her and warned Tae Hyun against trusting you and having you around.” 

It felt like he was drilling nails into her. It was hard to listen but she fought through it because she wanted to know what was going on.
 

“I told Tae Hyun what Ju Won insinuated was absurd. I told him that you didn’t resemble Soo Jin
 at all. I think that helped to throw Tae Hyun off for a bit but he might have taken what Ju Won said into consideration.” 

He did
, Yoori thought to herself, the final drilling of the nail having more impact on her than anything else she heard. 

Her train of thoughts was short-lived when she felt Ji Hoon grab her hands.
 

“Be with me,” Ji Hoon said tenderly, pulling her toward him. His voice was strained with desperation and determination. He was agonized as he stared at her. “I can protect you from all of this.”
 

She shook her head. Thoughtlessly, she said, “Tae Hyun can protect me.”
 

As soon as it came out of her mouth, she knew it sounded absurd. Why was it that even under the direst of circumstances, she still had so much faith in Tae Hyun? He walked out on her when she needed him most. He didn’t deserve that faith.
 

Ji Hoon was angry at her answer. She could see it in his eyes. Despite this, he kept his composure. “Do you know why Ju Won favors Tae Hyun more than me?”
 

Yoori shook her head, almost afraid of finding out the answer.
 

“Because Ju Won has seen me at my weakest. Anything that deals with Soo Jin hits a nerve within me. He knows this – everyone knows this. They all know this and they will never forget it.” He held her closer, making sure she knew how serious he was being.
 “Tae Hyun has the upper hand right now because he had always been ambitious. He keeps one goal in mind and he sacrifices 
everything
 else for it.” 

The reminder of Tae Hyun seared into his mind, causing his eyes to burn with hatred. He was angry, bitter and jealous.
 

“Do you think that he would care about you if the Advisors told him to get rid of you? Do you think he gives a damn about you?
 He’ll leave you. The first chance he gets where he senses you’re about to get in his way, he’ll leave you. He won’t stand by you like I will. He’ll leave you and he won’t come back to you.” 

Yoori was quiet, her mind wandering off to the nightmare of the night before.
 Tae Hyun really did leave her. It wasn’t a possibility; it was her reality. 

It was a mistake on Yoori’s part to allow the disappointed shadow to take over her pale face. It was a mistake on her part to not shrug off Ji Hoon’s words. Because, even if it was only for a brief second, she had forgotten that Ji Hoon was inspecting the reaction on her face. It was a brief moment, but he caught her bluff. He caught on to what she was feeling.
 

His eyes enlarged with realization.
 

“He’s already left you, hasn’t he?” Ji Hoon asked knowingly. “He already allowed what the Advisors told him to get to his head.”
 

Silence claimed Yoori’s lips. She didn’t say anything, but her inability to speak was enough for Ji Hoon. It gave him fuel to continue on with his quest to make Yoori give up on Tae Hyun and come to him.
 

“That’s the thing with Tae Hyun. All the girls he’s ever been with came flocking to me because he doesn’t care enough to keep them,” he probed, feeding on the worsening dread on her face.
 “Tae Hyun is incapable of caring about anyone but himself.”

She didn’t want to listen anymore.
 

“Yoori
,” Ji Hoon called, staring her straight in the eyes. “Be with me. I can give you anything and everything you want. I’ll give you the world and I’ll never leave you.” 

“No, I can’t!” Yoori combated at once. She pulled herself from Ji Hoon. It was true that Tae Hyun didn’t care about her, but it didn’t automatically mean she didn’t care for him. She didn't know what was going on with her; she just knew she wanted to get away from Ji Hoon. She couldn't stand to be around him anymore.
 

This was when Ji Hoon lost it.
 

“Why are you so fucking hung up on Tae Hyun?” Ji Hoon shouted in disbelief. It was the first time he had ever raised his voice at her. J
ealousy swarmed the now smothering rooftop. His voice elevated. “You haven’t even known him for that long and you’ve fallen 
that hard
 for him already?” 

“I don’t know!” Yoori cried, frustration rippling within her.
 

She was livid with Tae Hyun, but she was even angrier that Ji Hoon spoke so horribly
about him. She couldn’t stand Ji Hoon talking about him with such negativity; she couldn’t stand him trying to pull her away from Tae Hyun. If she hated Tae Hyun, then she’d hate him herself. She didn’t need anyone to add fuel to the fire. 

“I don’t know how I feel about him! All I know is that
 you need to stop, Ji Hoon! I won’t stand here and listen to you as you throw him under the bus. I don’t know how I truly feel about him, but I know how I feel about you.”

She drew in a sharp breath, the dreaded words coming out of her quivering lips.
 

“I’m sorry.” Her voice broke. “You’ve been nothing but kind to me since we’ve met. I know that you care a lot about me, I really do. And I care about you too…but I don’t have
 
those
 feelings for you. I just don’t.” 

His hands fell from hers.

He stared at her in silence, his chest heaving up and down. Then, when Yoori was ready to voice another apology, his eyes grew dark. He scoffed to himself, his face angrier than she had ever seen it. He didn’t take the news lightly and he wasn’t too intent on hiding it. 

“All because of Kwon Tae Hyun, right?” Ji Hoon accused, the last of his composure diminishing into the darkness of the night.
 “You’re only like this because of Kwon Tae Hyun—
fucking
Kwon Tae Hyun!” He raked his fingers through his hair in fury. His angry hands drew up in the air as he spoke to her, as he yelled at her. “You’re blinded by whatever spell he placed on you. Everyone in this 
fucking
 world seems to be!” 

“Ji Hoon,
 stop it,” Yoori ordered firmly. Though her voice was severe, she was actually scared stiff. Ji Hoon was a different person when he was angry. He looked terrifying. 

He scoffed to himself again, his eyes leaving hers and landing onto the city below him.
 “The great Kwon Tae Hyun…the crime lord who was raised to take over the 1
st
 layer but garnered control over the 3
rd
 layer instead…” Ji Hoon shook his head, lost in his own bitterness. “There’s nothing great about Tae Hyun yet everyone in this goddamn world reveres him like he’s God’s gift to our world. The two Advisors, the majority of the 1
st
 layer and
you
.” He turned back to her. “You’re all blinded. 
I
 was the one who rightfully claimed my Skulls throne. 
I
 was the youngest crime lord in the 3
rd
 layer. 
I
 was the one with the most revered Queen in my arms. 
I
 was the one and 
the only one
 who was supposed to be the contender for the Underworld throne. Yet when that fucking bastard came into the picture, this entire world fell on their knees and kneeled before him instead!” 

She began
to back away while he spoke. She didn’t get far when he caught her by the hands and pulled her closer to him. His expression softened upon seeing the fear in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said tenderly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
His hold on her tightened. “But don’t you see how much it’s hurting me that you’re with him? It’s killing me. It’s ripping me apart. He doesn’t deserve you. He’s too selfish and he will never be able to love you like I would be able to. Come back to me and be with me again.” 

“Come…come back?” Yoori asked incredulously, shaking in her stance.

He wasn’t speaking to her like she was Choi Yoori.

He was speaking to her like she was An Soo—
 

A voice interrupted her thoughts, pulling her and Ji Hoon from their conversation.

“Get your fucking hands off my girlfriend, Ji Hoon.”