Enemies - Zhong Chenle

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Locked up in the familiar place was the only thing she saw when she woke up. Her shouts came out muffled as the tape on her mouth stayed.

She looked to her right, seeing her brother in critical state. His head was hanging down as blood continued to flow out from the back of his head.

She tried calling his name, but her voice remained muffled by the tape.

Her hopeless eyes scanned to her left, seeing Jae Eun in the same position, her face bruised, her body almost fully exposed as the shirt hanging on her tore up. Her sides full of scars and wounds opened.

Jaerin cried, her cries resonating around the empty dungeon-like room. A loud creak forced into the air as a pair of footsteps stopped in front of her. The only light passing through the window allowed her to recognize the man in front of her as her body shook in fear.

"I see, you are awake," the familiar voice she didn't want to hear again laughed evilly, the hands playing with the knives he was holding.

"I have been waiting for you to come home," his sickening voice cackled as he traced the knife down her side.

"my dear daughter."

"Jaerin."

"Jaerin."

"Jaerin," she felt herself trembling as another hand held onto her arms, shaking her. She opened her eyes in fear as she ducked in a breath of air, shutting her eyes again at the sudden brightness. Adjusting her vision, she looked up to see Taeyong and Jaehyun beside her as she felt her body soaked in sweat.

"What happened?" she croaked out. Jaehyun passed her a glass of water as Taeyong helped her sit up, her back on the headboard.

"You were having a nightmare," Taeyong softly replied, slowly adjusting her duvet over her as Jaehyun sat down on her bed.

He sighed, shoving his face into his hands, feeling very angry and helpless with the situation he encountered a few hours ago.

"Jaerin, you need to be careful. I can't be there every time to save you, what if they took you?"

The younger lowered her head, feeling guilty for worrying the both of them. "I'm sorry."

"Jaerin, you can talk to Kun anytime, you know?" Taeyong stroked her hair down as she slightly nodded. He sighed, not convinced by her answer but still let it slide. He didn't want to force her.

"He majors in psychology, as well as Doyoung. I know you are more comfortable with someone you know so find them if you need help, ok? You can talk to us if you are not comfortable talking with them."

Jaerin bobbed her head, head still lowered down as she bit her lips, playing with her fingers. A habit she got after escaping from her family.

Jaehyun silently brought her into a hug as she gripped onto his shirt. Understanding she hadn't calmed down from the events, he swayed them slightly. "Rest today, I'll ask Haechan to inform your teachers."

Too tired to argue, she nodded into his chest, nuzzling into the warmth and closed her eyes.

"Sleep well."

The sun had settled down when the drained boy unlocked the door to his house, throwing his shoes aside as he slammed the door shut. Exhaling, he looked up from the device that fortunately was able to be repaired in his hands, halting on his tracks at the two people in front of him.

"My son," the woman smiled at him as she got closer to him. She pulled him into a hug, which he didn't return, causing her smile to fall.

"Chenle," his father's voice boomed as his mother let go of him. The latter stayed motionless as he stared at his father blankly.

"Is this how you greet your parents?" his father snapped at him.

Chenle scoffed, his mother to gasped and his father narrowed his eyes on him.
"Apologize, now."

Chenle stared at him, "Why do I have to? The both of you never cared about me. All you care about is your company. You dumped me in Korea for your business and never once visited me. How am I supposed to respect the both of you if you don't even consider me as your son?"

A loud bang sounded through the mansion. The woman flinched as Chenle remained standing with no emotion expressed on his face.

His parents were like strangers to him, they never once called Chenle nor visited him after they left Korea. He was brought up by his grandparents that had passed away a few years ago. Yet, his parents didn't even bother attending the funeral and Chenle had learnt not to have too much hope.

"We are your parents!" Mr. Zhong yelled at him. "We gave you everything you have here, what do you mean we do not care about you!"

Chenle chuckled tiredly, "If you think giving me loneliness and money is what you define as caring, you are wrong. All I want is a parent that loves me, not treating me as a stranger."

He exited the house, ignoring the man's yells at him to go back.

The boy wandered around the streets, arriving at a familiar door during his aimless walking. He exhaustedly knocked on the door, sitting right in front of the porch as he decided to wait in that position.

"Who's there?" a sleepy voice mumbled as the door was opened, the lights flooding out to the front where Chenle was as he squinted his eyes.

"Me."

"Oh my goodness, what are you doing here late at night," bewildered, Kun ushered the boy in as he shut the door. 

"Go catch some sleep, you still have school tomorrow. We will talk after you finish class."

The younger nodded, heading towards the familiar guest room and plopped his stuff down, lazily showered and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Should be filter chapter to make some stuff clearer? Maybe.

I went to the mall today and it's full of people, thought maybe it was because CNY is right around the corner