Post by Jin Min-jun on Apr 29, 2022 11:06:11 GMT -5
Ready. Aim. Fire. That's all there is to it Min-jun.
My eyes look straight ahead. I pay no attention to the black dividing walls to my sides. I don't focus on the safety goggles over my eyes. The noises of other people is blurred to near silence partly because of my earplugs and muffs and partly because of my focus on the target some fifty feet from me. A black human ish silhouette with a series of target circles has my gaze. I reach to my side to a small shelf where a handgun and ammo sits. As my hand nears the grip of the 9mm it shakes in hesitation.
Pick up the gun.
My conviction steels and I grab the gun by the grip. It feels strange... almost unnerving to be holding one. That was always one of my rules. Guns were for cowards. For outlaws with no rules and no honor. They weren't allowed in my neighborhood. We didn't stoop to that level.
As I hold this gun I realize I'm going against everything I told those kids. I realize I'm going against my promise to Tae to never be the sort of criminal the world wanted to see us as. Even with all of this on my mind I grab the gun. I pop the magazine out and one by one load bullets in.
One.
For Tae.
Two more.
For the kids and their families.
Now another three.
For me. For the lies. For the heartbreak.
I push the magazine back in and flick the safety off. I pull the slide to chamber a bullet and when everything's ready I stop.
Min-jun: Should I do this? Is there a point?
I can't even hear my voice through the plugs, but my mind responds anyways.
Do it. He deserves it. Pull the trigger Min-jun.
I look again to the target and take aim. I no longer see a vaguely human silhouette. No. I see Yeong-rae. I see the man who lied to me. Who used my heart to try and settle his own conscience. A man who weasled his way into my life to try and make himself feel better about his piece of shit brother.
My finger goes to the trigger, but before I can pull it my finger retracts. While I stare at the target Yeong-rae disappears and in his place... Taehyun.
My eyes go wide and as my hands begin to shake I try to hold firm. I know he isn't there. I know it's my mind messing with me, but it doesn't stop me from hearing his voice.
Taehyun: You don't want to do this Minnie. This isn't you.
I shake my head to try and clear the hallucination from my brain, but Taehyun persists.
Taehyun: Minnie. I know you're hurt. I know you're angry. But who are you really mad at? Yeong-rae didn't do anything to me. Did he even really do anything to you?
My eyes start to tear up, but even as the tears roll down my cheek and my hands begin to shake violently I still try to aim towards the target's head.
Taehyun: Min-jun I think you're mad because you feel guilty. You're mad at yourself for falling for someone. Sure he happens to be that douche bags brother... but you've spent months with him. You know he isn't his brother. You're just looking for someone to be mad at. Because if you don't find someone then maybe you'll have to deal with your guilt of trying to move on.
I know he.... me... whoever is probably right. I know that. But it doesn't matter. Someone needs to pay. Had Yeong-rae or his family stopped his brother from doing all the shit he was into... maybe Tae would be here.
Taehyun: You know that's not true. Well maybe. If they didn't get his brother to go after us they would have found someone. But if you're so sure you want to be like them and you want to shoot someone then do it. Shoot me. Right now.
My eyes go wide. I look straight at the target and try to ignore the vision of Taehyun. I go to the trigger once more, but my hands are shaking too much. Suddenly the gun drops from my hands with a clack! I drop to the ground with it and try to maintain my breathing like... like Rae taught me.
Maybe I can't do it. Maybe I can't pull the trigger...
-------------------------------------------
Glory. We all fuckin' want it don't we? We all want to snatch the crown and sit in the throne. Everyone else tryin' ta make their name off this tournament like I did last year. Everyone else tryin' ta make this the year they come up. I get it. I get that drive. That desire to break through glass ceilings... reach for brass rings.. whatever metaphor you wanna use. Glory represents an opportunity for someone to prove why they are Revo's next big deal. Why they should be a name on everyone's lips. It's a chance to make believers out of every doubter in the world.
A year ago I did just that. Glory was my opportunity to change my reputation. I didn't want to be the guy who lost his first match. I didn't want to be the guy who got punked in a brawl. Nahhhh fam. I wanted to be the underdog from the underground. I wanted to be the surprise. The person who cost a lotta damn people a lotta money on bets they shouldn't have placed. I wanted to show the kids back home that noothing can stop folks like us. I did that. I fucking did JUST THAT.
Last year I was the odds on.... least favorite. Last year I was a space holder. This year I don't hold the space. I own it. Glory isn't anyone else's to win. It's mine to lose. I promise though... that's not about ta happen. I made sure everyone knew Glory and Revo was my turf. I marked my damn territory. And as Glory got closer this year I walked back up and made sure people knew nothing had changed. Glory is still my turf. Revo is still my kingdom. And there ain't a damn soul who can stop me.
Certainly not Toni Beasley. Toni how ya feeling after I jumped your ass? Still think it's Toni Time? The world doesn't. You MID as hell. You talked a big game about not being easy to beat. You're going to hand out fists for Christmas and no one could take your title. Jeez well that worked out well for you didn't it Toni? That's what your time here has been. A lot of talk and no shit to back any of it up. Ya you won that International Championship. But I mean damn your one real moment was beating Jason Ryan? Damn. That's sad fam. Let me level with you. Toni... Time's up.
I have a feeling my first match in the Glory tourny is bout ta be against Toni's first round opponent: Talia Skye. Now that's a bad ass I actually need to prep for. Woman has a lotta damn experience inbetween the ropes. She's been doing this almost as long as I've been alive. That's impressive.. it's intimidating. She's the kinda person I know can figure out any weakness in my game. But there's a weakness in hers. She underestimates everyone. I know she's going to do the same to me. She's said it the whole time she's been here. Jin Min-jun is a street rat. She thinks that her experience puts her above everyone. But I've made a career here in Revo 1 by outlasting people with hella more experience than me. Experience doesn't take the pain away from a kick to the temple. It makes the damage of losing to a street rat like me even worse though.
Ask Vespertine. Her ego's fucked for sure right now. Thought she had my number didn't she? She decided she didn't want to jinx herself by refusing to say that one wrong move and she'd be looking at the lights....except... she said exactly that. So did she jinx herself? Or did she just do what everyone else does when they get hit with a Shot of Jin? See maybe if Ves didn't waste her time playing cowboy and focused on the match maybe just maybe she'd have stood a chance. She's had a solid record here. She could have checked my chin, but she didn't. She's a pirate renegade monster cowboy... she had every B Movie gimmick that Jason Ryan didn't already take at her disposal ... and none of that did her any damn good. She made the same mistake Talia does. She let her ego get control. All bothered by what a "gutter rat" like "Jun" had to say about her. See that's the difference between us Ves. You talk a big game about being an evil queen and being the best, but you have no substance to back it up. You haven't had to work for anything. But me? I've worked for EVERYTHING. I've had to scratch and claw my way to any and every opportunity I've ever had. I may be king in Revo 1, but I've kept the throne and I'll still keep it because I'm the hardest working mother fucker up in here.
I sure as fuck work harder than Jason Ryan. Dude thinks because he has to spend time coming up with a flavor of the week for his entire presentation that somehow he's a hard worker and deserves the world. Jason Ryan is going to be way out of his element having to actually earn something in this tournament. Man been getting handed opportunity after opportunity. Given title shot after title shot because... last week Chef Jason Ryan lost, but this week it's Surfer Jason Ryan. Totally different. But that ain't how Glory works. Especially not when the Brooklyngun is waiting for you at the end. And he has a receipt to give you Jason. My first match here Jason busted me open. He took away my first ever chance. I've waited a year. A whole year. Now it's my turn to take away his chance. So a part of me hopes that somehow you make it to the end to face me Jason. Because I want to send your ass to reality. I want to be the latest rude awakening.
Not quite as rude as the one Chelsea's gotten though. I mean she felt like THE top bitch here for a moment I'm guessing. Came in and got the International Championship real quick. But damn it was like the second Talia came Chelsea lost everything she had. Confidence. Gone. Championship. Gone. I know you wanna use this to get your mojo back. You want to get your win back from me. But you aren't focused. I know more than anything... you're focused on Talia Skye. I know more than anything your mind is being eaten up by how mad you are that Talia came in and made you look like a total fool. You have never stopped talking about her since the second she started gunnin' for you. If you can't focus on this tournament.. and you can't focus on on winning and beating me... you've already lost. I've done this before. If your focus wavers at all... you're fucked. Had I gotten distracted or showed any weakness.. I wouldn't have won. I wouldn't have gotten my championship. I'd be... well I'd be as lost as Chelsea Skye.
Someone who ain't lost though... someone who knows exactly who she is and exactly how damn good she is... is my partner in crime Jessie Lee. This woman is legit the ONLY one that worries me up in here. She's run through each and every person in this company. She's beaten Maggie. She's beaten Khaos. She's even gotten a W over me. One thing though... she's never pinned me. The win she got over me? I bled. That's all. I didn't quit. I didn't tap. I didn't stop. Last year she straight fucked up my leg. Didn't matter. I pulled through. But she can't say the same thing. She can't say I haven't pinned her. Because I have. In fact I did it a year ago... in this very tournament. My win over Jessie was my first step in making something of myself here. I plan on making a win over Jessie my NEXT step. Look Jessie everyone knows you're the toughest bish in Revo... if not the whole business. I know it first hand. We've fought twice. You've trained my ass since. You're tough as hell. You've taught me everything you know, but what you haven't taught me is everything I know. You haven't taught me the tenacity that I created my damn self. You haven't taught me the perseverance that the world hammered into me. You also didn't teach me how to throw a hook kick. Lord knows ain't nobody can teach me anything about how to throw a kick.
I know you're my only real challenge in this tourny. I know you can kick my ass. I also know that I am one of the only people in Revo who has made you look up at the lights. So let's see who takes this tie-breaker. Champ Champ showdown. But I'mma level with you. I'm walking out Mr. 2 Time with that Glory.
And honestly y'all should want that. I've done more to get Revo's name out there than ANY world champ before me. Khaos was Revo through and through, but didn't go beyond here. Maggie made a promise about putting Revo on the map. She could have used her connections to Level Up to help build this company. But she didn't. Because she didn't care. She just wanted another accolade. Only Jessie and I have talked that talk and walked that walk. But even still I've taken it further than Jessie. Making it on Porter lists and racking up Porter Awards. Getting a This Is Awesome sponsorship. Appearing in the Action Wrestling Havoc match AS Revo 1 World Champion. And now? I need to walk out of Glory with the world title because I'm slated to defend it on Action Wrestling television. I have done what no one else could. A Revo title defended on Action Wrestling? A year ago NO ONE here could have imagined that. But I've fuckin' done it.
Because I'm the only person here not afraid to pull the trigger. I'm the one who takes the big chances that everyone else is too much of a scared bitch to take. I'm the one who has no problem doing whatever I gotta do to make sure I'm upping my coin. A year ago I let my body get beaten down to the point my leg was straight fucked. This year I kicked down the forbidden door and showed up on another show carrying this title proudly. I am where I am by doing what no one else can.
So line em up for me. I'll take anyone and everyone out. Old grudges? Check. New faces? Check. Fellow champions? Check. Best friends?...... CHECK. I got bullets in the chamber and I'm prepared to fire off a Shot. Of. Jin.
----------------------------------------------------------
I look down to the fallen gun. There's a turmoil in me. There's a part of me who wants to walk away. Like I need to leave the anger behind and just move forward. I know deep down that's what Tae would have wanted from me.
I go to turn and leave, but before I can exit something stops me. Like a little devil on my shoulder my mind seems to whisper to itself.
Tae isn't here because of his brother.
As those words echo through my thoughts I feel my blood begin to boil. My hands clench and I feel every muscle in my body begin to tense up. I turn back to face the gun on the floor. I reach down to grab it, but the last remaining thoughts of morality cause me to hesitate. They are soon drowned out though.
Do it. Do you think Rae's brother hesitated? No. He shot Tae in cold blood. He didn't care about what was good and moral. He shot him. He took Tae from you. Now it's just an eye for an eye. Take the god damned gun and blow his brains out!
My resolve is solid. I grab the gun once more. I look at the target, no longer seeing Taehyun. I see only Yeong-rae. I lift the gun to aim and as I do every resentment builds up. I steady myself and after a forceful exhale I pull the trigger.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
My eyes look straight ahead. I pay no attention to the black dividing walls to my sides. I don't focus on the safety goggles over my eyes. The noises of other people is blurred to near silence partly because of my earplugs and muffs and partly because of my focus on the target some fifty feet from me. A black human ish silhouette with a series of target circles has my gaze. I reach to my side to a small shelf where a handgun and ammo sits. As my hand nears the grip of the 9mm it shakes in hesitation.
Pick up the gun.
My conviction steels and I grab the gun by the grip. It feels strange... almost unnerving to be holding one. That was always one of my rules. Guns were for cowards. For outlaws with no rules and no honor. They weren't allowed in my neighborhood. We didn't stoop to that level.
As I hold this gun I realize I'm going against everything I told those kids. I realize I'm going against my promise to Tae to never be the sort of criminal the world wanted to see us as. Even with all of this on my mind I grab the gun. I pop the magazine out and one by one load bullets in.
One.
For Tae.
Two more.
For the kids and their families.
Now another three.
For me. For the lies. For the heartbreak.
I push the magazine back in and flick the safety off. I pull the slide to chamber a bullet and when everything's ready I stop.
Min-jun: Should I do this? Is there a point?
I can't even hear my voice through the plugs, but my mind responds anyways.
Do it. He deserves it. Pull the trigger Min-jun.
I look again to the target and take aim. I no longer see a vaguely human silhouette. No. I see Yeong-rae. I see the man who lied to me. Who used my heart to try and settle his own conscience. A man who weasled his way into my life to try and make himself feel better about his piece of shit brother.
My finger goes to the trigger, but before I can pull it my finger retracts. While I stare at the target Yeong-rae disappears and in his place... Taehyun.
My eyes go wide and as my hands begin to shake I try to hold firm. I know he isn't there. I know it's my mind messing with me, but it doesn't stop me from hearing his voice.
Taehyun: You don't want to do this Minnie. This isn't you.
I shake my head to try and clear the hallucination from my brain, but Taehyun persists.
Taehyun: Minnie. I know you're hurt. I know you're angry. But who are you really mad at? Yeong-rae didn't do anything to me. Did he even really do anything to you?
My eyes start to tear up, but even as the tears roll down my cheek and my hands begin to shake violently I still try to aim towards the target's head.
Taehyun: Min-jun I think you're mad because you feel guilty. You're mad at yourself for falling for someone. Sure he happens to be that douche bags brother... but you've spent months with him. You know he isn't his brother. You're just looking for someone to be mad at. Because if you don't find someone then maybe you'll have to deal with your guilt of trying to move on.
I know he.... me... whoever is probably right. I know that. But it doesn't matter. Someone needs to pay. Had Yeong-rae or his family stopped his brother from doing all the shit he was into... maybe Tae would be here.
Taehyun: You know that's not true. Well maybe. If they didn't get his brother to go after us they would have found someone. But if you're so sure you want to be like them and you want to shoot someone then do it. Shoot me. Right now.
My eyes go wide. I look straight at the target and try to ignore the vision of Taehyun. I go to the trigger once more, but my hands are shaking too much. Suddenly the gun drops from my hands with a clack! I drop to the ground with it and try to maintain my breathing like... like Rae taught me.
Maybe I can't do it. Maybe I can't pull the trigger...
-------------------------------------------
Glory. We all fuckin' want it don't we? We all want to snatch the crown and sit in the throne. Everyone else tryin' ta make their name off this tournament like I did last year. Everyone else tryin' ta make this the year they come up. I get it. I get that drive. That desire to break through glass ceilings... reach for brass rings.. whatever metaphor you wanna use. Glory represents an opportunity for someone to prove why they are Revo's next big deal. Why they should be a name on everyone's lips. It's a chance to make believers out of every doubter in the world.
A year ago I did just that. Glory was my opportunity to change my reputation. I didn't want to be the guy who lost his first match. I didn't want to be the guy who got punked in a brawl. Nahhhh fam. I wanted to be the underdog from the underground. I wanted to be the surprise. The person who cost a lotta damn people a lotta money on bets they shouldn't have placed. I wanted to show the kids back home that noothing can stop folks like us. I did that. I fucking did JUST THAT.
Last year I was the odds on.... least favorite. Last year I was a space holder. This year I don't hold the space. I own it. Glory isn't anyone else's to win. It's mine to lose. I promise though... that's not about ta happen. I made sure everyone knew Glory and Revo was my turf. I marked my damn territory. And as Glory got closer this year I walked back up and made sure people knew nothing had changed. Glory is still my turf. Revo is still my kingdom. And there ain't a damn soul who can stop me.
Certainly not Toni Beasley. Toni how ya feeling after I jumped your ass? Still think it's Toni Time? The world doesn't. You MID as hell. You talked a big game about not being easy to beat. You're going to hand out fists for Christmas and no one could take your title. Jeez well that worked out well for you didn't it Toni? That's what your time here has been. A lot of talk and no shit to back any of it up. Ya you won that International Championship. But I mean damn your one real moment was beating Jason Ryan? Damn. That's sad fam. Let me level with you. Toni... Time's up.
I have a feeling my first match in the Glory tourny is bout ta be against Toni's first round opponent: Talia Skye. Now that's a bad ass I actually need to prep for. Woman has a lotta damn experience inbetween the ropes. She's been doing this almost as long as I've been alive. That's impressive.. it's intimidating. She's the kinda person I know can figure out any weakness in my game. But there's a weakness in hers. She underestimates everyone. I know she's going to do the same to me. She's said it the whole time she's been here. Jin Min-jun is a street rat. She thinks that her experience puts her above everyone. But I've made a career here in Revo 1 by outlasting people with hella more experience than me. Experience doesn't take the pain away from a kick to the temple. It makes the damage of losing to a street rat like me even worse though.
Ask Vespertine. Her ego's fucked for sure right now. Thought she had my number didn't she? She decided she didn't want to jinx herself by refusing to say that one wrong move and she'd be looking at the lights....except... she said exactly that. So did she jinx herself? Or did she just do what everyone else does when they get hit with a Shot of Jin? See maybe if Ves didn't waste her time playing cowboy and focused on the match maybe just maybe she'd have stood a chance. She's had a solid record here. She could have checked my chin, but she didn't. She's a pirate renegade monster cowboy... she had every B Movie gimmick that Jason Ryan didn't already take at her disposal ... and none of that did her any damn good. She made the same mistake Talia does. She let her ego get control. All bothered by what a "gutter rat" like "Jun" had to say about her. See that's the difference between us Ves. You talk a big game about being an evil queen and being the best, but you have no substance to back it up. You haven't had to work for anything. But me? I've worked for EVERYTHING. I've had to scratch and claw my way to any and every opportunity I've ever had. I may be king in Revo 1, but I've kept the throne and I'll still keep it because I'm the hardest working mother fucker up in here.
I sure as fuck work harder than Jason Ryan. Dude thinks because he has to spend time coming up with a flavor of the week for his entire presentation that somehow he's a hard worker and deserves the world. Jason Ryan is going to be way out of his element having to actually earn something in this tournament. Man been getting handed opportunity after opportunity. Given title shot after title shot because... last week Chef Jason Ryan lost, but this week it's Surfer Jason Ryan. Totally different. But that ain't how Glory works. Especially not when the Brooklyngun is waiting for you at the end. And he has a receipt to give you Jason. My first match here Jason busted me open. He took away my first ever chance. I've waited a year. A whole year. Now it's my turn to take away his chance. So a part of me hopes that somehow you make it to the end to face me Jason. Because I want to send your ass to reality. I want to be the latest rude awakening.
Not quite as rude as the one Chelsea's gotten though. I mean she felt like THE top bitch here for a moment I'm guessing. Came in and got the International Championship real quick. But damn it was like the second Talia came Chelsea lost everything she had. Confidence. Gone. Championship. Gone. I know you wanna use this to get your mojo back. You want to get your win back from me. But you aren't focused. I know more than anything... you're focused on Talia Skye. I know more than anything your mind is being eaten up by how mad you are that Talia came in and made you look like a total fool. You have never stopped talking about her since the second she started gunnin' for you. If you can't focus on this tournament.. and you can't focus on on winning and beating me... you've already lost. I've done this before. If your focus wavers at all... you're fucked. Had I gotten distracted or showed any weakness.. I wouldn't have won. I wouldn't have gotten my championship. I'd be... well I'd be as lost as Chelsea Skye.
Someone who ain't lost though... someone who knows exactly who she is and exactly how damn good she is... is my partner in crime Jessie Lee. This woman is legit the ONLY one that worries me up in here. She's run through each and every person in this company. She's beaten Maggie. She's beaten Khaos. She's even gotten a W over me. One thing though... she's never pinned me. The win she got over me? I bled. That's all. I didn't quit. I didn't tap. I didn't stop. Last year she straight fucked up my leg. Didn't matter. I pulled through. But she can't say the same thing. She can't say I haven't pinned her. Because I have. In fact I did it a year ago... in this very tournament. My win over Jessie was my first step in making something of myself here. I plan on making a win over Jessie my NEXT step. Look Jessie everyone knows you're the toughest bish in Revo... if not the whole business. I know it first hand. We've fought twice. You've trained my ass since. You're tough as hell. You've taught me everything you know, but what you haven't taught me is everything I know. You haven't taught me the tenacity that I created my damn self. You haven't taught me the perseverance that the world hammered into me. You also didn't teach me how to throw a hook kick. Lord knows ain't nobody can teach me anything about how to throw a kick.
I know you're my only real challenge in this tourny. I know you can kick my ass. I also know that I am one of the only people in Revo who has made you look up at the lights. So let's see who takes this tie-breaker. Champ Champ showdown. But I'mma level with you. I'm walking out Mr. 2 Time with that Glory.
And honestly y'all should want that. I've done more to get Revo's name out there than ANY world champ before me. Khaos was Revo through and through, but didn't go beyond here. Maggie made a promise about putting Revo on the map. She could have used her connections to Level Up to help build this company. But she didn't. Because she didn't care. She just wanted another accolade. Only Jessie and I have talked that talk and walked that walk. But even still I've taken it further than Jessie. Making it on Porter lists and racking up Porter Awards. Getting a This Is Awesome sponsorship. Appearing in the Action Wrestling Havoc match AS Revo 1 World Champion. And now? I need to walk out of Glory with the world title because I'm slated to defend it on Action Wrestling television. I have done what no one else could. A Revo title defended on Action Wrestling? A year ago NO ONE here could have imagined that. But I've fuckin' done it.
Because I'm the only person here not afraid to pull the trigger. I'm the one who takes the big chances that everyone else is too much of a scared bitch to take. I'm the one who has no problem doing whatever I gotta do to make sure I'm upping my coin. A year ago I let my body get beaten down to the point my leg was straight fucked. This year I kicked down the forbidden door and showed up on another show carrying this title proudly. I am where I am by doing what no one else can.
So line em up for me. I'll take anyone and everyone out. Old grudges? Check. New faces? Check. Fellow champions? Check. Best friends?...... CHECK. I got bullets in the chamber and I'm prepared to fire off a Shot. Of. Jin.
----------------------------------------------------------
I look down to the fallen gun. There's a turmoil in me. There's a part of me who wants to walk away. Like I need to leave the anger behind and just move forward. I know deep down that's what Tae would have wanted from me.
I go to turn and leave, but before I can exit something stops me. Like a little devil on my shoulder my mind seems to whisper to itself.
Tae isn't here because of his brother.
As those words echo through my thoughts I feel my blood begin to boil. My hands clench and I feel every muscle in my body begin to tense up. I turn back to face the gun on the floor. I reach down to grab it, but the last remaining thoughts of morality cause me to hesitate. They are soon drowned out though.
Do it. Do you think Rae's brother hesitated? No. He shot Tae in cold blood. He didn't care about what was good and moral. He shot him. He took Tae from you. Now it's just an eye for an eye. Take the god damned gun and blow his brains out!
My resolve is solid. I grab the gun once more. I look at the target, no longer seeing Taehyun. I see only Yeong-rae. I lift the gun to aim and as I do every resentment builds up. I steady myself and after a forceful exhale I pull the trigger.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
