缘分 y͏u͏a͏n͏f͏e͏n͏ -; j͏u͏n͏g͏r͏i͏

c a i m 該隱

as he passes by the changing lockers of the females after passing jimin his clothes, he spots yerim sitting down on the changing bench inside the changing lockers, with only her camisole worn over her sports bra, revealing her bruised and skinny arms. as guilty as jeongguk is feeling for looking at the female, he can't help but worry about the sight of her bruises.

not only was there one, but there's many and he widens his eyes in horror as she lifts up the hem of her camisole, revealing a purplish bruise on her abdomen, along with a gash that is covered with a bandage, that is bleeding. nothing seems like a fall, especially with whip marks all around her back.

yerim winces as she touches her wound, hissing softly before reaching into her bag for new bandages to change the dressing, but applying some ointment on the purple bruises. jeongguk frowns as he stares at her, piecing together some loose thoughts in his mind. the way she always reacts when somebody touches her, the way she brushes off the topic about her family, the excuses she gives to not hang out with her friends or him, the flicker of hesitation and pain in her eyes.

everything ― the way she acts, she talks and behaves, especially at the mention of family, and skinship. he even remembers how her friends act around her: cautiously as if touching her will break her or some sort.

"you know, by pulling out such an assumption, it may lead to certain dreaded outcomes, right?" jeongguk's brother asks carefully, causing the younger male to sigh in frustration. the male then mutters, "i think i'm done with dinner. excuse me." with that, he heads up to his room while typing a message to yerim.

jeongguk lies on his back, staring at the ceiling as he thinks back to the sight of yerim today ― her bruised lips and the plaster on her cheek, and the way she covers herself up always with jeans, and long-sleeved shirts or hoodies. never once has he spotted her wearing a short-sleeved shirt or anything else, and the thought of her family abusing her causes him to shiver in disgust.

sitting straight up, he shakes his head, glancing at the clock while biting on his lips. he then recalls the way sooyoung hesitated to tell him about her, and jeongguk curses under his breath. why didn't she just tell him? why didn't she just tell him about yerim, so he can help her?

he shakes his head, grabbing his jacket and heads down the stairs, planning to head over to yerim's house just then, the house's doorbell rings and he hollers out, "i'll get it."

jeongguk rushes down towards the front door, and pulls open it, widening his eyes at the sight of yerim standing at his front porch. but it isn't the sight of yerim appearing at his front porch that surprises him, instead it is the state she's in to appear at his front porch.

"y-yerim," he stutters out, taking a step forward as the girl lowers her head, fists clenched together while she shivers slightly. yerim then raises her head and jeongguk's heart clenches tightly at the sight of her bleeding lips, the cuts near her eyebrows, and blood flowing down from her forehead.

"jeonguk-ah," she calls out, weakly and softly while staring at the male with teary eyes. "i-i'm not alright," yerim cries out softly, as her legs give up on her just as jeongguk catches her instantly.

yerim's shirt has been ripped, with holes at certain areas with certain wide gashes on her arms. jeongguk then shakes her, while holding her by the shoulders, "h-hospital. we should get you to the hospital."

not only are there bruises on her arms with certain bleeding wounds, the male glances down at her legs where there are glass shards embedded within the flesh of her skin and her feet are bare, with some cuts. jeongguk then notices the whip marks on certain parts of her legs and arms, along with red marks around her wrist and he swallows painfully. why didn't she tell him earlier?