Defence

42

"Thank you," she continued, "and sorry. Not once, have I used those two phrases. Do you want to know why I didn't go into the fitting room that time?"

For once, Donghae noted, her eyes never left his.

"There was once where I was locked up in a cold dungeon with no clothes. I sat, lied, slept, and ate on cold dry cement. Whenever I find myself in a small area I would recall those days and freak out." she paused.

Why was she talking about these things? Victoria didn't know. Maybe she wanted him to know how she'd been treated, how she'd grown up, maybe she just wanted him to know.

"You asked who Jung Mo was. The reason why he's the most memorable person to me during all this time is because he was always there. During the time I was locked up he gave me his meals just so I wouldn't starve. Every morning he waited for me just so that I wouldn't get picked on. This...is not humane, is it?"

Donghae felt his heart sink. It was the first time in his life that he'd heard of someone being treated so cruelly and to actually see that person stand in front of him. His heart ached and he felt angry with those people who'd treated her like that.

"There's a reason why I let myself forget all these," Victoria explained. "I can't go back."

- - - - -

Yoona glanced back at him. She wanted to say it but it didn't come. The words so simply aligned within her memory but they were so hard to arrange into the language that he'd understand. It was hard...she didn't understand why she was hesitating...or why she felt so scared to just say it. She had forgotten the last time she'd had a hard time saying anything. Taecyeon stared back at her waiting for her to answer.

Her phone rang interrupting the moment. Yoona felt her hopes fall down drastically. She felt as if she was losing the only chance she'd ever get.

To answer her phone or to say those three words?

Why was making a decision so difficult? It reminded her of the time when she was at the store with her mother. To get this or that?

"Your phone..." he began.

On impulse Yoona reached for her phone without checking to see who it was first.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Yoona, are you busy at this moment?" it was Donghae's mother.

"What is it?" she asked feeling an odd vibe from over the phone.

"Would you mind stopping by for a minute? I'd like to speak with you." her voice was calmly serious.

Yoona felt her become immersed with the conversation, yet she also wanted to decline.

"Yes." she replied before hanging up, but even so she didn't budge.

"Who is it?" Taecyeon questioned. "Did something happen?"

Yoona glanced at the floor feeling awfully regretful. "I'm sorry, for intruding like this."

"What's going on?" he curiously wondered.

Yoona got up, "Lets talk...for real next time, ok?"

"Will you tell me about what today was about then?"

Yoona pressed her lips together, "Sure."

After walking out Yoona felt like smacking her head.

"Aish!! Are you crazy?!" she shouted at herself in the car then stared at her phone questioning why Donghae's mother had to call at that moment.

- - - - -

Donghae wanted to hug her, to give her some comfort that she'd accept from him but he wasn't sure about what to do. A hug wouldn't make up for all that she'd gone through. He hated to wonder about what else they'd done to her during all that time. However, before anything else his phone began ringing.