The Breakout Project - Hwang Hyunjin

Chapter 18

"When was the last time I came to your house?"

The young boy was standing in my living room, his fingers tracing the strings of a small yellow lamp we had placed on a table. His eyes never left the glowing light as he talked, a sad look on his face. I was surveying everything from the arm of the couch, scared to say something that would break the situation.

"A year ago?" He chuckled. "Has it really been that long?"

"Yes," I replied quietly. "I was sick with a cold, remember? Your mother thought it might be contagious so she didn't let you come, and after that it just never happened."

"Hmm," he hummed, the corner of his eyes dropping.

"Jeongin, is everything alright?" I asked in a worried tone.

His hands fell sharply from the lamp. "No, it is not. I had a fight with my mum."

My eyebrows flew up, not believing my ears.

Jeongin never had fights with his mum. In fact, he was a pretty obedient child, and his mother had never given him anything but love. What exactly had they fought for?

"Did something happen?"

His stare turned to me and this time I didn't see sadness, but fear.

"She's acting strange, Jinnie. Like really strange. Remember the day I joined you for ice cream? She yelled at me when I came back, said I wasn't going out again."

I frowned. "But I thought you had-"

"Convinced her, yes. But it was like she had forgotten all of a sudden. Today I told her I went out to buy some ramen at the convenience store two blocks from the house and," a small gasp interrupted his story, "she threw a fucking glass at me, Hyunjin."

I couldn't stop my eyes from widening.

His hands had curled into fists and I could see he was at the verge of breaking.

"If I hadn't dodged it, it would have hit me and God only knows where I'd be right now." With small steps, he circled the couch and came to sit next to me, placing his hands on his knees. "I have no idea what's going on with her or why she's acting like this but it scares me, Jinnie." When he looked at me, I saw little teardrops falling from his eyes, leaving wet trails down his face.

Not knowing what to say, I wrapped my arms around his frame and placed his chin on my shoulder, letting him cry as hard as he wanted to. I felt the cloth of my sweater getting wet but I didn't care. All I could think about was Mrs. Yang and what she had done to Jeongin, or rather, almost done.

"I think she's also scared." I found myself whispering into his hair.

If you'd told me a few weeks ago, that Mrs. Yang would throw a glass at Jeongin, I would have laughed and called you crazy but this was really happening and it all felt like a dream to me. A really long dream from which I couldn't wake up. First the murders, then the party and Minseok, that conversation with Yura and the siblings, and now this. Everyone around us had gone crazy and it felt like we were the ones in the middle, suffering the consequences.

If I could make a wish right now, I'd wish for all of this to be over.

Somebody please wake me up.

❦

Jisung and Chan's faces when they saw Jeongin the next day at school were priceless. I had managed to laugh for the first time in more than 24 hours.

The younger had spat his apple juice while the Australian had rushed out of his seat to meet Jeongin with a face full of worry and discomfiture.

"What are you doing here, Innie?" Chan pulled away from him.