O N E
~Flashback~
I walk back and forth, pacing around the living room with my thumb nail between my teeth. I knew when I said something that this could either go really well or really not well and I am most certainly not prepared if the reaction is bad. What if everything happens like it happened in my dream?
It’s a few weeks after the accident and they’ve finally decided to bring up the matter with Jimin. I don’t know why they didn’t earlier when I told them. Probably because they thought I was just being delusional due to the gunshot wound or something.
Hoseok walks in the room and the mere sight of him makes my skin crawl. My eyes involuntarily roll. “Jimin wants to see you. He says you’ve been ignoring him for too long and he misses you.”
I shake my head. “He raped me, Hoseok. I don’t want to talk to him. I know what he did and I know he needs help.”
Hoseok purses his lips and walks over to me slowly. “Do you realize how bad this is making you sound?”
I scoff. “Me? Seriously? You’re still taking his side over mine?”
“Still?” He gives me a confused look.
“In my dream, everyone went against me, too because they were loyal to Jimin, but he turned out to be way different than you thought. He’s cruel and aggressive and-”
“Alright,” he cuts me off. “I don’t know what you’re going on about, but maybe you should rest. I think maybe the mission stressed you out or something.”
I groan. “Where’s Jeongguk?”
He blinks and walks up to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “He’s gone, Y/N.”
I shake my head. “That doesn’t make sense. In my dream, he didn’t leave. He was here and he basically begged me to stay. he said he loved me and that I was his happiness.”
Hoseok frowns. “Maybe him leaving is a good thing,” he nods, still holding onto my shoulders. “He was obviously putting things in your head.”
I shove his hands from my body. “You’re brainwashed. All of you,” I exclaim. “Just think about it. Why would Jeongguk leave when Yeonjun is here? Why would Jeongguk leave when he changed himself completely to be able to stay here? It just makes no sense,” I mumble the last part.
He shakes his head. “It’s time for Yeonjun to grow up and I think Jeongguk knows that. Come on now, Y/N. You’re being crazy. Maybe once you talk to Jimin, you’ll feel a bit better about all this.”
I sigh and reluctantly agree. Obviously he isn’t going to let this go. I can handle this. Maybe Jimin isn’t too crazy yet. Maybe he won’t lock me up downstairs and send men to gang rape me. Maybe he won’t call my father in an attempt to sell me off.
I walk into Jimin’s room with a million thoughts running through my brain.
“Hoseok, you can leave us,” he speaks, making my gaze snap up to him.
I haven’t talked to, let alone looked at this man for several days. In all honesty, since my dream I’ve been scared stiff of him. He’s out of control and dangerous and I hate being alone with him.
I look back at Hoseok with pleading eyes, but he walks out anyway, closing the door behind him.
“Y/N,” he whispers. “What happened? Why won’t you talk to me? Hoseok keeps telling me these horrible things that you’ve been saying and I’m really worried for you.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t act so innocent.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Y/N, what are you talking about?”
“Stop that!”
“Stop what? Seriously, Y/N. You’re acting like a crazy person,” he reaches forward to press his hand to my cheek, but I quickly step away from his touch.
“You don’t get to touch me like that. Not anymore,” I breathe, tears starting to surface.
He squints in confusion. “Y/N, please. What did I do?”
I let out an exasperated breath. “You know what you did.”
He bites his lip. “Hoseok told me that you keep saying that I raped you, but why in the hell would I do that? It makes zero sense,” he looks down at the floor as if he’s actually trying to remember. “Like, no sense at all,” he mumbles.
My eyes soften for a moment as I start to believe him, but there’s no way I’m imagining this. It felt so real and it happened before my dream...right? Or was it during my dream--no, it was definitely before, but why does he look so defeated and truly confused?
No, I can’t let him fool me.
My eyes harden again.
“Jimin, I’m done with your lies. I’m done with all of this,” I grit my teeth. “I’m leaving. I’m moving. Somewhere far away from here where I can finally be myself.”
He looks up at me and shakes his head softly. “N-no, please don’t go. I really don’t understand. I need you with me. I love you. I don’t know what I did,” he rambles on and on.
My heart really does sting as I listen to his desperate words and watch his confusion stricken eyes. But I don’t back down. I will not fall for it again. Never again.
“I’m leaving tonight,” I pause as a sudden thought runs through my brain. If I leave, the last person Yeonjun truly likes will be gone. He’ll be alone.
I look up at Jimin and bite my lip. “I’m taking Yeonjun with me as well...and you can’t tell me no. I’m doing it,” I nod confidently and turn around walking out of the room. The words came out a bit more awkward than I had meant for them to, but whatever. I still meant what I said and I’m not turning back. Not ever.
~The Present (A Year Later)~
I zip up the ziplock baggie with the sandwich inside and set it nicely in the lunchbox. “Remember you have dance class after school today so you’re not coming straight home,” I instruct without looking up.
“I got it, Noona.”
“And don’t forget that most of the kids here don’t speak Korean. Be mindful of that,” I add.
“I know. You tell me this every morning before school,” he grumbles.
I finally look up at the boy across the room. Yeonjun has his backpack secured on his shoulders and is just waiting on his lunch before he waits on the bus.
“Don’t get in any fights.”
“Noona, I don’t get in fights. You know that,” he laughs.
“I know. I just want to be careful.” I walk over to him with the lunchbox in hand and unzip his backpack, setting it inside. As I zip it back up, I look down at him and smile. “So, is there anyone you have your eye on in school?”
He wrinkles his nose up in disgust. “Ew. I’m only thirteen and girls have cooties anyway.”
I shrug. “Okay, what about boys then?”
His eyes widen and he grips the straps to his backpack harder. “I think I see the bus coming down the street. I’d better go out and, yeah, bye.”
I chuckle as he runs out the door. “Kids. You can’t live with ’em. You can’t live without ’em.”
A couple hands slip around my waist and I receive a tender kiss to the side of my neck, making me giggle.
“I think your kid is very well behaved compared to others,” a low voice whispers into my neck in English. “I still don’t know how you raised him so well.”
The comment makes me frown as I think of Jeongguk. I chuckle to try to rid myself of the thoughts. “It was mostly the fact that he had a bad childhood before I adopted him. He basically trained himself,” I mumble.
The pair of hands spin me around and I’m met with a beautiful pair of green eyes. The green eyes that belong to my boyfriend, Drew.
“When are you going to finally let me in about your past? You’re so mysterious,” he chuckles.
I smile and poke him on the nose. “When I feel like you’re worthy,” I joke.
He lets out a breath of laughter and lets me go because he knows that I have to get ready for work.
“I can’t believe you’re about to get promoted. No more grabbing coffee for the boss. You get your own desk and your own work,” he says as he follows behind me.
I start to walk up the stairs as I answer. “I don’t know if I got the promotion yet. Don’t jinx it,” I laugh.
“Of course you got it. You’re the most dedicated person there,” I hear him comment from behind me.
We work together. That’s how I met him. I got a job at a business firm. They let me work even though I don’t have any experience or college education because of my high IQ and the different skills that I possess.
I’ve been working towards a promotion for a year now and I am dying to get it. I love my job and I would love it even more if I got my own working space.
I slip on my outfit for the day as Drew continues to chat with me about random things.
“Today is gonna be an exciting day,” Drew smiles at me. “I can feel it.”
I sigh and force my lips into a smile. “Me too.”
