❝ A DEER CAUGHT IN HEADLIGHTS ❞

7

You can almost hear a pin drop.

Every day for a week, the same thing, wake up, wait for the night, and sleep.

The same view on the large glass window was displayed, with the sun rising, setting, and darkness creeping in as night fell.

You were almost suffocated by the room's boredom and silence.

It was morning now, the sun rising as the ray of sun gazed at your face from the large window beside your bed. The room is decent, it's large and spacious, but it doesn't matter, whatever place this is, you knew damn well that it was surely owned by them.

Yes, you haven't slept, or rather, you haven't been able to sleep. Your thoughts have been devouring you since last night, and your eyes have been wide open as you look into thin air.

Waiting for something, at least an update for who knows what you're here for.

Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door.

The door then opened, then there, Ran show up, bringing a tray of food.

Still ignoring him and avoiding his presence as if he didn't just enter the room.

"Good morning." He greeted her as he placed the tray on the side table.

"Eat up." He said but you didn't move a single muscle, still staring at the walls.

Ran sighed as he noticed you, he sat beside you on the bed, of course, the girl moved a bit far from him.

"Still confused-?" He was cut as he noticed you scoff and rolled your eyes.

"Don't play the hard way." His tone suddenly dropped, startling you.

The Ran you knew was always calm, whether he was standing in the back, watching the show but still aware of what was going on.

"Eat now or I'll force you to."

Not wanting you to reach his limits, you trembled as you seized the utensils, eating the food but not still facing him, gulping the food as you swallowed them harshly, biting the fork each time you took a portion out of frustration because you couldn't do anything.

Because they'll play the hard way.

"You'll be out of this room later, you better eat up." He said in a soft tone, his tone changed in a matter of seconds.

You simply nodded, refusing to engage in a conversation with him.

"Take a bath. I'll wait here in your room." He said as you immediately stood up. You walked away from his sight as you shut the door behind him loudly as if you were having tantrums.

He silently hummed as his demeanor sternly dropped, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the door, observing the way you throw tantrums at him, refuse to speak with him, and only respond to him with short nods and hums.

Days... He'll wait, or rather, they'll wait for days, during which time they'll watch how you act and see if you change at all. Are you getting used to them yet? They have no idea.

In those days, there was a slim chance you'd escape though.

That you would get out of his sight.

Still, they will never allow that to happen.

Minutes passed, and you went out of the bathroom, all dressed up as Ran then looked at you walking to the bed, placing the clothes and towels there.

"Just drop it there. I'll call someone to fix that." Ran said as he stood up. "Let's go."

He then grabbed your wrist and walked to the door, but you immediately took your wrist back, shocking him a bit as he looked back at you.

"Right, my bad." He cleared his throat as he lets you pass first.

You both walked outside of your room, walking in the same corridor on that day that you wanted to forget.

And there, you noticed that you were downstairs, on the first floor of the mansion which was rather vast, possibly the largest area, with a giant golden chandelier with silver diamonds hanging from the extremely high ceiling, golden pillars, and a red carpet on the stairs.

As you and Ran walked down the stairwell, both of his hands in his pockets, the men on the couches turned their heads to look at you.

Mikey, Koko, the brothers, and other Bonten members were seated on the couches, surrounded by security armed with firearms and uniforms.

You and Ran sat on the couch, and you sat next to him, without casting sidelong glances at the other men.

"Mikey told me to let you roam around the place for a while." Ran mentioned.

"Oh, " you scoffed and rolled your eyes.

"The fuck am I, a pet?" You didn't realize you whispered it a bit loud, making them turn their heads to you.

Ran cleared his throat in awkwardness, pretending he hadn't heard anything.

"Well, starting today, we're changing up things," Koko said who was leaning back at the chair as his feet were placed on the tables, counting money as a cigarette is placed in his mouth.

"It's just starting, after all." He added.

Y/n blinked. Clueless.

"It's just so that you'll adapt here at your new place, get used to us."

That's probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my entire life.

Hyperbole? Nah.

You sighed, knowing that no matter how many times you asked the same question, you'd only get the same answer.

"When can I leave?" You knew you were imprisoned here, you didn't know why, you didn't know how, and you didn't know what the reason was, yet you still sought answers.

And their intentions.

"You have nowhere to go, Y/n."

You expected his answer.

"Why do you want to leave, you have almost everything in here."

"I don't. Stop acting like you're some sort of a hero." You muttered.

"Come to think of it, you can have anything; we'll buy you anything, even a mansion, whereas previously you were living in a small apartment with costs that nearly consumed your entire life."

Your eyes nearly sparkled. "Anything?" 

"We offered you a job, yet you refused, you're already playing the hard way."

"I believe that's absurd, you're taking advantage of your power now, are you?" Still, you retorted. 

"That's literally unreasonable, a childish one." You said. "Keeping someone locked up just because they simply refused the offer?"

"Is that how all of your egos are? Is your pride truly that fragile and susceptible to crush?"

"Now tell me who's playing the hard way."

But they were unfazed and only gave you death stares and to be honest, they were impressed.

"Of course, you're saying that because you're still new to this," Mikey said who looked enraged by your words.

"Understand what? Your childish acts?" You said.

"That's enough." Rindou cut off, who was the most silent the whole time ever since that day.

"You're getting a little comfortable here, are you?" He said. "You really think you're here just because of that stupid offer?"

"How naïve of you." He snorted as he leaned back on the couch.

You didn't understand them, how all of these things suddenly went in your life, having no idea who these men were yet they were so familiar.

"You really don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

The men looked at each other.

"For now, just follow everything as we say."

Who gave them the authority, what themselves? You furiously thought they were too selfish.

"Just follow and maybe we'll spare your stepmother's life." Sanzu said out of the blue.

Feeling your stomach twist, silence fell in the room.

"H-huh?!" Your breath hitched.

"Wait, how did you know that my stepmother is in the hospital?!" You asked, almost like shouting from shock. 

"Oh my my, did you forget? All of us here almost own anything at this place." Koko said.

"Can be that restaurant across your apartment."

"Can be the nightclub that you're working, well that's gone now."

"Can be the hospital that your stepmother is currently in right now."

Your brows furrowed as your breath hitched, the sudden feeling and gut that you want to see your stepmother right now made you impatient.

"Let me see her at least. Get me out of here." You said, almost like begging, hell they can even lock you up for more than one week, you just wanted to see your stepmother who you haven't seen for like a week.

"If only you accept the offer."

"What?!"

"Look, it's simple, accept the offer, and you will see your stepmother."

"And maybe... you'll know some information about your parents."

And there, it clicked in her mind.

"Doubting us?" Sanzu said as he tilted his head.

"C'mon, we already repeated for the umpteenth time that we are capable of anything!"

"We have many connections, we can hire agents to find some information, and we are allies with some other groups."

"And maybe we'll know stuff about your parents more than you do."

You felt anger, yet you had no choice, you don't know what you felt, you were having mixed feelings.

"Just, please! I just want to see her once." You pleaded out of frustration, not out of desperation.

"Look who's begging now." Mikey said as he poked his tongue on the side of his cheeks.

"Shut the fuck up." Your gaze darted to his.

"Take that back."

"What if I don't?"

Mikey abruptly stood up, walking into you as you moved backward on the couch. You flinched when you saw a gun in his pocket.

"That's enough now, Y/n," Mikey said as he was standing in front of you. "You've been getting on my nerves."

"And that's not my problem—" But you were cut as he pushed you harshly on the couch, making you fall on your back as he leaned forward, squeezing your cheeks as he harshly forced you to look up, facing him.

"For the past few days, I've been forcing myself to act all kind to you." He sternly said.

"I don't think I'll treat you the way princesses should be treated, hm?"

Feeling acted up and startled, you were frozen in your seat, unable to move from his eliciting and demanding words. 

"See that look on your face?" He said. "Your fear is satisfying." 

Feeling your body tense up, you took a glance behind him, and there, you saw three men standing behind him, Rindou, Ran, and Koko, all of them had a predatory look on their faces, amusingly and intently watching you as if you were a show presenting.

"Listen here." Mikey grabbed your attention, gripping your cheeks tighter, His words made a lump in your throat, making your eyes widen and glossy as you feel your heart race.

"The hospital that your stepmother is currently staying in right now is one of our properties, simply run by us."

"Now what if we told you that your life, everything you own, your land, hell, even your apartment, would be ours and destroyed in a single click?" Mikey threatened.

Your eyes widened in horror, feeling your hands tremble on your lap.

"We can easily command the doctors there to... end her life right here right now," Mikey said, giving you a provoking look.

"You won't do shit!" You yanked your face free from his grip as you stood up, you felt enraged that they had the arrogance to involve your stepmother in this.

You tried to flee or at least take a step back from them, but they quickly grabbed both of your wrists and held them tightly. You tried to yank and pry them free from their strong, tight hold, but Mikey was forced to throw you onto the couch, landing as you hit your back on the couch.

"I will, and you better fucking know that." He held your wrist, you came to a halt as he raised a Glock to your neck and felt the gun click. You were forced to look up at them with watery eyes that screamed fear.

"Your stepmother's life is in our hands."

The four other men stood in front of you, you can see their towering figures behind Mikey as they were all looking down at you.

"After all, she's the only one in your life, right?"

Feeling all those words sense in your mind, you gritted your teeth at your closed mouth, not showing them any sign of your annoyance.

"Those friends abandoned you, you were rejected, and your parents left you as well, they all left you."

You felt sorry for yourself, recalling those days in school when you would constantly strive hard but always come up average, trying and trying but getting nowhere.

"The only person you have right now is a person who is on the verge of dying."

Feeling chills ran down your spine, their venomous words were true.

"Do you hear us? Do you hear how we are capable of anything, how much power we have?"

True, all they said was true, everything was, and you hate how they were all true.

"While you have nothing."

A mere person who has nothing but a controlled fate, rather.

Your lips quivered in terror, and you were already begging for someone's life.

"Now tell us, will you accept the offer? In return for your stepmother's life?"

And on the other hand, they had this one glimpse of scintilla in which they would love to see you wrath against them.

It can mean anything, though.

What more can they do to you?

In the end, I had no choice.

A lot.

Being locked up here wasn't worth it, and it will never be worth it.

Anything can happen at this point.

Because in the end, they already had me wagering lives.

Yet that's just the first step, which Y/n doesn't know.

The choices are in my hands, yet in the end, they were the ones deciding.

After all, the game is just starting, right?

"Now tell us, will you accept the offer? In return for your stepmother's life?"

The question continuously rang in your ear, feeling the pressure as you felt their heavy stares.

Tears prickled in your eyes, lips quivering as you slowly nodded.

"And what does that mean?"

"I-I'll accept the offer... to employ here. Even if it may risk my well-being. "

And there, tears ran down your cheeks, feeling a heavy boulder on your chest.

Oh how they craved for those tears.

"Good girl," Sanzu said, lifting your face as he wiped your tears with his thumbs, caressing your cheeks. "Just the right choice."

"Give her the contract." Mikey commanded their workers.

"Yes sir."

While you were seated, feeling clammy and unable to move, feeling guilty yet indignation rise in your chest.

"Any objections?"

"...No," you mused, almost in a whisper, thinking as if I had any choice.

As they handed it to you, you opened the folder with trembling hands, and there the contract was placed. You skim through the contract's content. It wasn't lengthy, and the main points were underlined. A contract to sign for your consent to be an employee of them.

"What are really your intentions...?"

Grabbing the pen, your heart pounded as you placed the tip of it on the paper.

And there, you signed it.

The men smirked devilishly, feeling dominance and authority all over them.

"At last."

The workers grab the paper and handed it to their five bosses.

Manjiro was the first to grab it, he looked at the signature and then at you.

You were sitting on the couch, your head was low and you were staring at the floor.

Ran decided to lift your chin up, but you only pry your head away from them, refusing to look at them.

"Now now, no need to act miserable. There's no reason to sulk over this." Sanzu said as he bent down to look at your face.

"We'll let you visit the hospital tomorrow, okay?" Ran said with his soothing voice.

You lifted your head. You blinked your tears away as you felt a bit excited and a bit of hope, but of course, you didn't show them any emotions.

"Why? Aren't you happy?" Mikey said.

"I am." You only muttered.

"We might just have to take it back."

"No—!" You suddenly cut him, almost raising your voice.

You wiped your tears away, hiccupping. You knew how much you despised yourself when you cried.

Crying is a form of vulnerability, they say.

How your dreams and bright future have been easily crushed. You were a person with big aspirations, big hopes, and a bright future ahead of her.

Yet they said, there's no harm when a little darkness looms, right?

When night comes, there the darkness invades.

She's a deer caught in headlights.