23rd Death - Addison's

The car ride was surprisingly smooth—aside from Jang's maniacal glee every time he mowed down a zombie. After the fourth splatter dented the hood and made the engine whine, he muttered, "Shit, I guess we need this thing intact," and finally stopped.

The car was stuffed to bursting with bodies—both dead and undead. Jang gripped the wheel like it owed him money, with Jiho squished in the backseat between Doom Baby and Zombie Minion #3. Up front, Rukman sat eerily still, staring at every passing streetlamp and alley like he was scanning for something specific.

Jiho shifted uncomfortably. "What's that zombie doing?" he asked, jerking his chin toward Rukman.

Jang didn't even look back. "Why? You writing a fucking zombie thesis?"

Jiho sighed. "I'm just curious."

Jang's hands tightened on the wheel, knuckles white. "None of your damn business, twink. But since you're oh-so desperate to know—"

"I'm really not—"

"—I'LL FUCKING TELL YOU!" Jang barked, cutting him off. "He's on a task. A task I told him to do. EVERY FUCKING DAY. Rain, shine, or zombie apocalypse—no excuses!"

"..."

"..."

Jiho blinked. "What task?"

"LIKE I'LL EVER FUCKING TELL YOU!!" Jang screamed, slamming the wheel hard enough to make the car wobble. His wild eyes locked onto Jiho in the rearview mirror, teeth bared like a rabid dog. 

"You've been a real bitch, asking me these questions while I'm graciously giving you a ride. You should be bowing at my feet and licking my boots right now! Hell, the only reason I'm not making you do it is because you're a shitty minor."

Jiho exhaled slowly through his nose. "...I'm sorry. Hyung."

Jang had established when Jiho entered his car. He was 20 years old, and is then to be addressed as Hyung.

Jang's face twisted like he'd just been slapped. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?! Did you just FUCKING SIGH at me?!" His scream was loud enough to make the car windows rattle.

Jiho kept his voice cool, deadpan. "No, Hyung. I didn't sigh. I'm sorry you felt that way. Please forgive me." He rolled his eyes toward the window, like the whole conversation was just another chore.

Jang gripped the steering wheel tighter, seething. "You little bastard... You want my zombies to rough you up? That it? Make you show some respect?" He leaned in, voice dropping to a low growl as his glare bore into Jiho's averted gaze.

[Zombification: 98% → 99%]

Jiho slowly turned back to meet Jang's intense stare, his lips curling just slightly. "Try whatever you like, Hyung." There was a dangerous glint in his eyes now. "But I will defend myself."

Something in Jiho's tone made Jang falter for a split second—just a flicker of uncertainty—but he masked it by sneering. "What kind of shit threat is that?" He barked out a harsh laugh. "Who the hell's gonna be scared of you? You're just some femboy twink."

[Zombification: 99% → 100%]

[RAGE MODE AVAILABLE!]

Jiho's smile didn't reach his eyes. Then, slowly, coldly: "Are you fantasizing about me, Hyung?"

Jang jerked like someone had splashed cold water on his face. "T-the fuck are you talking about—"

Jiho leaned in, so close Jang could feel the heat of his breath. A vein bulged on Jiho's forehead, his expression shifting from eerily calm to something far more dangerous, his eyebrows knitting as he pressed his lips tighter and tighter. "Do you want to bang me, Hyung?" he whispered, his voice dripping with venom. "Do you want to bend me over and fuck me, is that it? Is that why you keep this 'twink this, twink that' bullshit? Wanna make me your bottom bitch?"

Jang's foot slipped on the gas, the car jerking forward with a screech before he slammed the brakes so hard the tires screamed. Everyone lurched in their seats as if the car itself was begging to eject them.

"WHAT THE FUCK—" Jang stammered, his voice cracking as he tried to wrap his head around Jiho's words, as if the sheer audacity had physically punched him.

Jang froze, caught between rage and confusion. His brain stuttered like an engine running on fumes. "YOU—" He choked, gripping the steering wheel hard enough that his knuckles paled. "You've lost your fucking mind..."

Jiho leaned even closer, a vein pulsing on his forehead. "No, seriously, Hyung—" Jiho's voice dropped into something both mocking and furious. "I'm dying to know. Did I make one of your fantasies come true? Hm? Do you want my body?"

Jang twitched, instinctively leaning back in his seat, only for Jiho to follow, unrelenting. Jiho's eyes gleamed with fury. "Want me to undress? You're so obsessed—'twink this,' 'twink that.' Everyone I've met in my life—just dying to throw that word at me every chance they get." Jiho's voice sharpened as he snarled, his fists clenching against the seat. "Wanna elaborate on that, Hyung? Am I feminine enough for you? Fit your tastes!!?"

Jang's face twisted in anger, caught between defensiveness and his ever-present wrath. "YOU RUDE FUCKER! I'm just graciously giving you a ride, and this is what I get?! DOOM BABY, MINION #3 PREPARE TO HOLD HIM STEADY!! I should fuck you in the ass to teach you some fucking manners!"

Jiho's eyes widened slightly, but there was no fear—only sharp, cutting anger. "TRY IT, HYUNG. I'll bite your dick off!!"

The two of them leaned in closer, their faces almost touching as they snarled at each other like two feral animals about to tear each other's throats out. The zombies in the back didn't move a muscle, as if they had grown accustomed to this exact brand of chaos.

Then, just as the tension hit its breaking point, Rukman suddenly growled from the passenger seat. "Muuuughhhheeee..."

Both Jang and Jiho snapped their heads toward him in unison.

Jang's expression flipped instantly, his manic anger vanishing into pure excitement. "YOU FOUND ONE!?"

With the enthusiasm of a child at an amusement park, Jang shoved Jiho out of the way, sending him sprawling into the backseat with a grunt.

"What the—" Jiho muttered, dazed as he was jostled against Doom Baby and Zombie Minion #3.

"Stay here, TWINK! I got some business to take care of!" Jang barked, practically launching himself out of the car with manic energy. "RUKMAN, OUT! OUT NOW! DON'T LET THAT FUCKER GET AWAY!!!" he howled, voice cracking at the edges.

With a groan, Rukman tumbled out of the car, his stiff, awkward zombie limbs jerking into motion as he lumbered down the street like a malfunctioning wind-up toy. But before long, he began to run, run fast after its target.

Jiho narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of Jang's sudden outburst. What the hell had gotten him so worked up?

Curiosity nipped at him, overriding his earlier frustration. Jiho muttered a curse under his breath as he clambered past Doom Baby and Minion #3, squeezing through the cramped seats. With one last grunt of effort, he made it to the front row and slid out of the car.

The door slammed behind him with a sharp thunk. Jiho straightened his back and strolled over to where Jang stood, hands on his hips, eyes gleaming with pride.

Jiho's simmering anger now replaced by reluctant curiosity. His gaze followed the zombie's awkward pursuit.

Rukman ran swiftly after his prey, stiff limbs flailing, his undead body jolting awkwardly with each lurching step. Jiho squinted, focusing on what the zombie was so desperately after.

Then he saw it.

A cat.

"A cat. You're chasing a cat?"

"Meow..!!" The cat meowed, on alert as it noticed the zombie and started running.

"Yeah. I do whatever the fuck I want, like I said. Got a problem, twink? Go on foot."

"Fine." Jiho sighed, turning on his heel and walking away toward the building where his mother worked.

"Wait." Jang's voice stopped him. He was still watching Rukman awkwardly chase the cat down the street. "You hate being called 'twink,' huh? Got... bullied for it, or something?" His tone softened by a fraction, the edge dulled just enough to suggest something... expectant.

Jiho hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder. "...No. I just hate being called a twink."

'I didn't mind it before but the more he says it... The more I'm reminded me of that backstabber. Always so playful while sneaking around with Eunhee behind my back.' Jiho furrowed his brows at the thought.

Jang then hummed, "I'll stop calling you a twink," he muttered, fingers pressing into his skin as he crossed his arms. His teeth clenched so tightly they looked like they might crack. His eyes stayed glued to the fleeing cat, unblinking. "But only if you tell me why the fuck you'd ever torture a dog." Jang muttered, recalling what Jiho had told him back at the basement.

How he tortured his dog.

Jiho's breath hitched.

Jang exhaled slowly, eyes lowering. "Dogs are... really fucking loyal, you know? Doesn't matter if you're broke, starving—" His voice trailed off into something quieter, raw. "They'd stick with you. All the way to the end."

Jiho's shoulders sagged a little, tension leaking from his frame as he sensed that sudden vulnerability from Jang.

'... Didn't know he could sound like that,' Jiho thought as he looked at Jang, taking in his quieter tone.

"Why the fuck would you hurt something like that?" Jang asked, almost a whisper. "Are you just fucking stupid or something?" His grip tightened around his own arms, like he was holding himself together by sheer will. "Those tiny, pathetic balls of Stockholm Syndrome... they'd do anything for you."

A brief silence fell between them, heavy and uncomfortable, until Jang's voice turned sharp again, teeth grinding together.

"But cats..." His expression twisted into something almost feral, hatred simmering beneath the surface. He stared at the terrified cat, still bolting from Rukman's clumsy pursuit.

"Cats deserve everything they get," Jang spat through gritted teeth. "They'll burn in hell. They deserve to suffer. ALL OF THEM DESERVE TO FUCKING SUFFER." His voice cracked as his jaw locked tight, fingers digging into his arms like claws. Tears dripping down his cheeks as he hid his face away from Jiho.

"..." Jiho looked at him, a moment of silence hung in the air.

"Because it was fun," Jiho said abruptly, yet quietly.

"What... What the fuck did you just say...!? Because it was FUN...!!!?" Jang growled, a memory brushing past him...

==============

"Please... Joon-Seok Hyung... Please... Why are you doing this to me...?" Jang murmured, tears streaming down his face. He hung naked from a metal bar just outside the school perimeter, bruises darkening his abdomen and cigarette burns marking his skin like tiny brandings.

"Ahh, Joon-Seok, you made him cry again. That's, like, the fourth time today..." a girl nearby said, irritation dripping from her voice. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "So unattractive."

"Hold on, I'll talk to him. Me and Jangy really get each oth—"

BARK!

A sudden bark cut through the air.

Joon-Seok inhaled deeply through his nose, his expression flickering with annoyance as the dog barked again. And again.

'No... No... Please, Superhero... Don't bark... You'll just make him angrier... Please... Please stop...' Jang begged silently, his heart pounding as he looked at the dog. It lay pinned beneath the foot of one of Joon-Seok's lackeys, its leg twisted at a sickening angle, blood trickling from the wound.

"This, Jangy," Joon-Seok said, strolling toward Jang with measured steps. He pulled out a cigarette and used it to dab away Jang's tears as they trickled down his chest, his expression eerily detached.

Once the tears reached Jang's ribs, Joon-Seok pinned the cigarette against his bare skin.

"Gr..." Jang clenched his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as his whole body tensed. His breath came in short bursts as he fought with everything inside him not to scream.

"This..." Joon-Seok murmured, flicking the cigarette aside, "...is why I'm doing this. Because I care. I'm trying to educate you." His voice was low, slow, and deliberate, like he was explaining something obvious to a child.

He turned and began walking toward the pinned-down dog.

Jang's eyes widened in panic as he watched Joon-Seok's back retreating. No... No, please... Don't hurt him... Not him... Please... His throat tightened with unspoken words, the fear of speaking out coiling inside him like a vice. He knew—if he spoke—Joon-Seok might do something even worse.

Joon-Seok crouched beside the dog, his hand resting on its trembling side. "Hold him steady," he ordered.

"Y-yes, Hyung-nim!" the scrawny kid stammered, gripping the dog harder as it whimpered and squirmed.

Joon-Seok pressed his foot onto the dog's skull. Slowly. Methodically.

The dog whimpered louder. The sound tore through Jang like jagged glass, each whimper chipping away at him, until all he could do was mutter under his breath, "Why... Just... tell me why... Please..." His voice cracked, heavy with despair. "Please..."

Joon-Seok didn't answer at first. Instead, he tilted his head thoughtfully, as if considering whether to bother explaining at all. "Raise your head, Jangy," he finally said.

Jang obeyed, lifting his head weakly, desperation etched into every feature of his face.

"Wait—pulling out my smartphone, Hyung," the girl muttered, already anticipating what was about to happen as she fumbled with her phone.

"Make sure you get my lines, Sarah," Joon-Seok instructed, his gaze still fixed on the dog pinned beneath his foot. "This is important. A lesson for the ages."

He looked down at the dog, his voice calm, deliberate. "I'm doing this... for the dog. And to educate you."

He pressed his foot down harder. The dog's whimpering grew weaker, fading into faint, ragged sounds.

"You see," Joon-Seok continued, "if a weak bastard like you owns a dog, you'll get it killed one day. That's just the truth."

The dog let out a faint, high-pitched whine.

Joon-Seok's voice was steady, almost gentle. "I'm saving it from the misery of living with you. Doing charity work like that... Is fun."

And then, with a final, sickening pop, the dog's whimpering stopped. Silence filled the space between them, thick and suffocating.

The scrawny kid turned his head away, cold sweat glistening on his brow.

Joon-Seok exhaled through his nose, looking down at the lifeless animal beneath his foot. "I'm just that sensitive, Jangy."

Jang gasped, his body shuddering with helplessness as he stared at the ground, his breath coming in ragged bursts.

"Ah, shit! I didn't press play!" the girl groaned, smacking the side of her phone.

Joon-Seok clicked his tongue. "Doesn't matter. We'll do it again." He gave Jang a casual glance. "I'll find a part of its skull that isn't cracked yet. Just add some whimpering sounds in the editing, Sarah. Make it look alive with a filter or something."

==========================================

Jang's entire body tensed, his breath ragged as the memory dragged him under. Jiho's face blurred into Joon-Seok's, their features merging until they were indistinguishable—cold, indifferent, unrelenting.

Jiho stood by the car, still as a shadow, and Jang's mind raced. He could end him right now—wipe him out along with Doom Baby and Minion #3.

'I'll kill you... Right here... You'll die...!! DIE!!'

Jang's lips parted, the words [Corpse Explosion] burning on his tongue. His hands twitched, ready to unleash the skill.

Then Jiho spoke.

"I'm not a sensitive person, Hyung."

The words hit like ice water, making Jang's breath catch. The rage faltered, his grip loosening.

Jiho glanced down, voice even. "I tortured a dog that only loved me," he said, "Because it was fun... And I was five."

Jang's fingers twitched, his whole body trembling, the skill perched on the edge of release. "And... that justifies it?" His voice came low and rough, begging for something—anything—to act on. "Your age justifies... Shit like that...?"

Jiho's gaze didn't waver. "It's not about justification." A pause. "It was fun at the time. That's all."

The words lingered, heavy and unapologetic.

Jang's jaw clenched, the skill slipping from his mind like a dream dissolving at dawn. His fists unclenched, his breath uneven as fury ebbed into confusion.

Jiho's voice softened—just slightly. "But I know it was a fucked-up thing to do... not because dogs are loyal." He exhaled. "But because my mom told me it was wrong."

Jang gasped, his gaze dropping as another memory surged to the surface.

====================================

Flashback:

"WHY DID YOU MAKE HIM YOUR ENEMY, YOU STUPID KID?!" His mother's scream rang out, punctuated by the dull thud of a shoe hitting his head.

"MAKING TROUBLE FOR YOUR PARENTS... YOU FUCKING DISAPPOINTMENT!"

====================================

Jang's shoulders twitched as a low chuckle bubbled up. At first, it was soft. Then it grew into a wild, audible cackle.

Jiho's eyes narrowed as he watched, wary.

"Ahh... Man, I stand corrected." Jang stretched his limbs with a loose, almost lazy motion. "We'll never be friends." He glanced at Jiho, his expression somewhere between amused and resigned. "RUKMAN! GET BACK HERE!" Jang barked over his shoulder. "I'll let you off today. We're out of here."

As he passed Jiho, Jang shot him one last glance. "And in case you're wondering, twi—" He stopped himself, smirking. "...Bitch. You're not invited anymore."

Jiho tilted his head, watching as Jang climbed into the car with Rukman. His lips curled slightly. "I know you're itching for it," Jiho said, voice light. "Come on. Say it."

Jang froze with one foot inside the car, gripping the doorframe tightly. "Fuck that," he muttered, starting the engine. "I'm a man of my word. I said if you told me why you killed the dog, I'd stop. Got a problem with that?" He shot Jiho a steady, controlled glare.

Jiho's eyes widened briefly, then a soft chuckle slipped out. "I never said I killed him. He didn't die from the beatings," Jiho murmured, glancing away.

"...How'd he die, then?" Jang asked.

[BACKGROUND MUSIC: SELENE SORAL - ETHEREAL]

Jiho exhaled deeply. "He healed perfectly. He was a loving dog for four more years after my mom taught me not to hurt him anymore... I've heard dogs can get PTSD from beatings, but not him. He never showed any of that. Every time he saw me, he'd wag his tail, come running to be petted and cuddled... always cheerful." 

Jiho paused, the words hanging heavy in the air. "No. He didn't die because of me. He died from a disease—four years later."

Jiho glanced back at Jang, a somber smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "He had Addison's disease—some hormonal imbalance that made him puke, have diarrhea, and lose his energy and appetite. Then it got worse... they called it an 'Addisonian crisis.' Eventually, he had to be put down."

Jiho paused, drawing in a slow breath. "...I wanted to keep him alive just a little longer, but my mom said he'd just feel 'ouch' for longer if we did—that's how she explained it to me." A soft chuckle slipped out, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'd say... but it's fun keeping him around. To pet him, feed him... to cuddle with him."

The humor flickered out just as quickly as it came, and Jiho's gaze drifted downward. Jang stayed silent, his full attention locked on Jiho.

"Short story short..." Jiho murmured, "she told me it was better to let him go. I... I didn't want him to suffer anymore." His voice lowered. "So we did it. We euthanized him and buried him in the countryside next to some human graveyard in an unmarked grave. My mom told me to wait in the car as she buried him."

Jang's gaze shifted toward the road as he leaned back in his seat, exhaling slowly through his nose. "...Fuck Addison's. Heard about that shit. It's like cancer for dogs or some shit... Fucking sucks, man."

A minute of silence passed between them—heavy, but not uncomfortable.

"Well, see ya', otaku bastard..." Jiho started.

"...Hyung," he finished, almost as an afterthought.

Jang furrowed his brows, muttering under his breath as he pulled the car into gear. "Bitch... What a bitch, holy shit." With a shake of his head, he drove off, leaving Jiho standing by the curb, watching the car disappear down the road.

'Did he actually think we could be friends?' Jiho wondered, arms folded as the taillights shrank in the distance—still heading toward his mother's workplace.

Meanwhile, Jang drove in silence, eyes fixed on the road ahead. Another memory bubbled to the surface.

------------------------------

Flashback:

"What's your favorite manhwa, then?" Jiho asked again as they sat together in the basement.

"I told you—it's Superhero-Human Man. Best fucking manhwa in the world," Jang said with conviction. "The main character, Superhero, is unapologetic, awesome, kind, and gets all the bitches while wrecking everything with zero effort."

"He doesn't struggle? That sounds kinda boring," Jiho replied, raising an eyebrow.

"YOU'RE BORING, TWINK!" Jang shot back. "Get this—he has an attack that can..."

------------------------------

Back in the present, Jang muttered to himself as the road stretched endlessly ahead.

"...Just a twi—... Just a bitch. Nothing but a little bitch, that's what he is," Jang whispered, more to himself than anyone, his hands tightening briefly on the steering wheel before relaxing again.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, DOOM BABY!!! WE AIN'T TALKING ABOUT 'THAT'!!" He suddenly screamed.

[Proud of this chapter fellas]