[ warning !!! very short chapter, my apologies!] not edited

It feels like a giant boulder was thrown on you and your words stuck in your throat, your eyes burning with unshed tears. They killed my father? You don't know why but it's like your eyes are drawn to San like a magnet and you expect for him to look at least somewhat guilty or sympathetic but he's the opposite. His usual stone cold poker face is on and he's not even fully looking at you. You look back at Hongjoong, wanting him to start laughing or something.

"This is some kind joke, right?" Your voice trembles, shaky and you didn't even realize you were crying until you feel a smooth tear fall from your chin. You're waiting for a 'Yes, this is a joke and your father is just out' but that doesn't come and you're only offered blank faces and cold stares. Something slams in your chest, your blood pounding in your eyes and your heart thudding. You couldn't see correctly, your vision disfigured as if you were looking through a fish lens.

"We did what we needed to do, Y/n," San speaks up quickly upon realizing that you were on the verge of a panic attack. But his words don't comfort you, in fact it seems to make your well being even worse making San purse his lips. He doesn't know how to help or comfort you but he didn't want to lie to you either. Your lips are dry and your throat is constricted but you want answers. For everything.

"Why...." You clear your throat and push a stray piece of hair behind your ear,"How did you meet my father? When?" Hongjoong sighs and cracks his neck subtly before moving to sit in the rocking chair, spreading his legs out in a comfortable position, sliding down the chair just a bit, his face calm as if none of this was bothering him. That's because it isn't, he's a murderer.

"Your father wasn't a saint, he was far from it, actually," Hongjoong says cooly, folding his hands behind his head with his narrowed eyes on you. It's like he took a knife and jabbed it in your heart. You barely knew your father or better yet, your barely remember him but it didn't feel right for someone to insult him in front of your face.

"You arent one either." You don't know where your boldness came from and you regret spitting out those words because the way Hongjoong's eyes darken is frightening, his once calm state now contorted to anger. His eyebrows furrow together and he moves to push himself up but stops himself.

"We never said we were, Y/n," Seonghwa is the one to speak now but his voice doesn't hold any anger like you expected it to, instead it sounds like he's speaking with a child and that angers you but you push back the snarky comment that tries crawl out of your mouth and only narrow your eyes. You cast your gaze away from the older male and scuff your feet against the floorboards. A small voice in your mind is telling you to try and make a run for it but the smarter voice is telling you not to, you could easily get taken down by them and even if you managed to make it out, where would you go? You inhale a sharp breath and divert your eyes to the one person who you want to hear from who isn't even looking at you anymore; San.

"You never answered my questions. How did you meet him? When?"

"We don't need to answer your every question, Y/n. We don't owe you anything, after we killed your father we could've left you in the hands of that old ass pervert back at home," Hongjoong deadpans and it feels like a bunch of knives stabbing you in your heart,"We only took you with us because San is  as soft as a feather." The said male makes a face at Hongjoong's words but doesn't say anything, only running a hand through his hair.

"Fine, you're right, you don't have to tell me anything. But can you tell me one thing?" You almost cringe at how pathetic you sound, begging for answers but this is the first time someone has actually spoken the truth to you,"Why did you kill him? What did he do?" There's a pregnant pause for a moment and the air around you drops to a much cooler breeze if that's even possible. Or maybe it's because your blood runs cold at the look of sheer anger on Hongjoong's face that seems to contort on all the others as well. Something tells me
I shouldn't have asked that... But it's too late to reel in your curiousness because this time it's Mingi who speaks up much to your surprise, his voice deep and monotone but you can feel the fury laced in.

"He killed one of our own," Mingi says and his eyes are staring down at you, literally, and if looks could kill you'd be in your grave by now,"His name was Junyou-"

"That's enough!" Hongjoong booms and you can feel the hair on your arms raise up. You can tell that the person they were speaking of was important to them as you can see Yeosang's lips curl down in a frown from the corner of your eye. For some reason you feel guilty for what your father had done, though you hadn't even known your father was involved with the bandits until now.

"I'm sorr-"

"We don't need your apologies, Y/n, it's over now," Seonghwa solemnly speaks and you nod your head, chewing on your cheek as you cast your eyes down.

"Now that you know the truth, we can give you some options,"Hongjoong says and you hear the rocking chair squeak and before you know it he's in front of you, his finger moving to your chin as he makes you look at him,"You can either stay here in your father's cabin, make a living on your own and not worry about running around with a bunch of criminals...or you can stay with us. But once you make your decision it's a done deal." His tone is icy and steel and you visibly gulp. If you stay here you don't have to worry about getting shot at or getting taken by the law, you can be at peace with everything but have no protection. Or you could go with them and live the life of a criminal, ducking between saloons in fear of getting shot at.

Hongjoong huffs, impatient and still angry as you can tell and you lick your bottom lip before nodding.

"I'll stay with you."