Jaeyi had just woken up when she noticed Seulgi was missing from the bed.
Panic immediately set in.
She searched the room for any signs that Seulgi had left a note or a message, but there was nothing.
Her heart started to race.
She called Seulgi, her mind clouded with worry.
She had no idea what had happened, was Seulgi upset?
Had something gone wrong?
Seulgi answered the phone after a few rings, her voice heavy and strained, as though she had been crying. "Jaeyi-ah..."
The sound of Seulgi's shaky breath on the other end made Jaeyi's stomach twist with fear.
"Seulgi? Are you okay? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I... I just... I don't know, Jaeyi." Seulgi's voice cracked, and Jaeyi could hear the pain behind it.
"I can't... I can't deal with this right now." The call ended abruptly, leaving Jaeyi standing there, her heart racing in her chest.
She immediately opened the tracking app she had installed on Seulgi's phone for moments like this.
Her eyes quickly scanned the map, and she saw that Seulgi was not far from her house.
Jaeyi's worry deepened, and without another thought, she grabbed her jacket and rushed out the door, following the route Seulgi had taken.
Seulgi walked aimlessly through the streets, her mind spinning.
The argument with her stepmother had left her shaken.
She knew she wasn't supposed to let it get to her, but hearing her stepmother's words, it all just felt too much to handle.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice calling her name.
"Seulgi-ah!" Jaeyi's voice cut through the fog of her thoughts, and Seulgi turned to see Jaeyi rushing toward her, out of breath but determined.
Jaeyi stopped in front of her, her eyes full of worry. "Seulgi, what happened? I heard you on the phone, and I... I got worried."
Seulgi wiped at her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek despite her best efforts to stay strong. "I don't know what to do, Jaeyi. My stepmother... she- she just doesn't understand. She keeps saying you're like him... that you'll hurt me. I don't know if I can take it anymore."
Jaeyi stepped closer, her voice soft but firm. "Seulgi, listen to me."
She gently cupped Seulgi's face, wiping the tears away with her thumbs. "I'm not like him. I never was. And I will never hurt you again. You have to know that. You're everything to me. Don't let anyone make you doubt that."
Seulgi looked up at her, her heart swelling with emotion as she saw the sincerity in Jaeyi's eyes.
"I just don't know how to make her understand," Seulgi whispered.
Jaeyi took Seulgi's hand, her grip steady and warm. "You don't have to make anyone understand, Seulgi. You just need to listen to your own heart. And if it leads you to me, then I'll be here."
Seulgi looked up at Jaeyi, her heart still heavy with the weight of the conversation she had just had with her stepmother.
She bit her lip, unsure of how to ask, but the thought of being alone in her house right now seemed impossible.
"Jaeyi-ah," Seulgi began softly, her voice hesitant. "Can I stay with you for a while?"
The question hung in the air, fragile and vulnerable.
CHAPTER 15: WITH YOU
Start from the beginning
