Start Again

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Somehow, I found my way back to the subway.

People casted questionable looks my way as I held on to a support pole. I could hear my clothes dripping on the floor.

Let them think what they want. What do I care?

*

"Where on earth have you been?" Hye Ri asked as I walked through the door. "Do you know how late it is?"

I shrugged in response, removing my bag from my shoulder and placing it on the ground.

She got off her bed and ran over to me, her hands grabbing me by she shoulders and holding me at arm's length. "Better yet, why are you soaked? Have you been out in the rain this whole time? You should have called and I could have transferred money if you couldn't buy an umbrella. You'll get sick at this rate."

"I don't care," I mumbled. "I'm going for a shower." I yanked myself out of Hye Ri's grip and shuffled into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I looked at myself in the mirror as I gripped the sink tightly. My heart was as tight as my fists. "I saw it wrongly," I whispered. "There's some innocent truth in this all. I must not assume."

Her hand gliding over his shoulder played through my head.

"No. I've seen it wrong. He has a very good explanation. I know it."

Joon Soo immediately denying my call looped again and again.

"Why that though?"

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and woke up the screen, glad it was still working. I had no messages or missed calls. He didn't even try to find out why I was calling him.

I put my phone down on the bathroom sink. What do I do now?

*

The sun just started streaming through the cracks in the curtain when my eyes finally closed, taking me to sleep. I barely had time to drift off when a buzzing noise pulled me back out of the slumber. I fumbled around for my phone and had a look at the caller ID. Joon Soo.

Why are you calling now? I wanted to ask. You had all of last night to call and you didn't. You went to sleep without a care for why I called you.

I let his call ring out, then I turned my phone off and set it down. As I looked over at Hye Ri, she had seemed to awoken from my phone as well, her eyes studied me with worry etched in them. I rolled over in my bed, pulling my sheets over my head, hoping that, once again, sleep might overcome me and take me away from the endless thoughts.

*

"It's off," Hye Ri said in a low voice. "I don't know. Did something happen? ... She didn't say anything. She came home drenched and was tossing and turning all night... She won't talk to me. She just sleeps... She has only gotten out of bed to go to the toilet. She doesn't even eat... I know it's been two days... I don't know what to do Joon Soo. Did you do something?... Are you sure you didn't?... It's not my problem. It's yours and hers. I'm just her friend that's worried about her."

*

"Is she here?" I heard a familiar voice ask from the doorway.

"Yeah, she's in bed," Hye Ri replied.

I squeezed my eyes shut and did my best job to pretend I was asleep. I felt his large hand envelop mine and his lips pressed down on my cheek. My eyes started to sting because of his affection. Why was he being so kind? Why was he acting like he didn't do anything wrong?