Twenty Four

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Sarang

The drive to his home was awkwardly silent. Jun and everything that happened earlier didn't preoccupy my thoughts anymore... because Xiumin did. I couldn't help but wonder, what are we now? I wisely shut my mouth. I didn't want to come off as clingy.

It was quite late and I really didn't think his parents would appreciate me coming here, so I tugged at his hand. "I want to go home." I whispered, although it was useless. Their home was almost as big as a castle, I doubted my voice would really make a difference.

"We're already here now. I really think you shouldn't stay alone." Xiumin frowned and led me inside. "Don't worry, you're not intruding or anything."

Everything about the living room screamed family. There were pictures of Xiumin and Yojeung when they were very young. Them holding tennis rackets, playing at the beach with their parents, eating ice cream, everything fun a family would do together. I noticed how there were no pictures of Yojeung as a teenager and the only ones looked like they had been taken very recently. They all looked so happy, it made me very envious.

He quietly stood behind me as I looked at the pictures. When I heard him yawn, I turned around. "Let's go to sleep." I suggested.

Yojeung's room was on the first floor, opposite to his. He knocked and it didn't even take a while for her to open the door. "Hi Sarang, how are you doing?" She grinned. How can someone look so beautiful when they've stayed up almost until 4:00 am? Where are her dark circles?

"Hey."

This was so awkward.

"Go to sleep now. I don't want you falling asleep in the exam hall tomorrow." Xiumin told her, then shifted his gaze toward me. "If there's anything at all, I'm right there." He pointed to the door opposite to Yojeung's room. "Don't hesitate to wake me up, okay?"

"Goodnight." I said softly.

Yojeung closed the door behind us, then gestured me to sit down on the bed. I noticed the worry in her expression as she handed me a blanket. "I heard what happened from Kai." She frowned. I hated it. I hated how she was looking at me right now. As if I was a fragile object that would break.

I wanted to say something along the lines of, "Keep your pity to yourself. I can deal with my own problems." but she was sharing her room with me when she had no reason to. Plus, she was Xiumin's sister. So for that, I rephrased. "I don't like to be pitied. I'm strong enough to overcome things like this." I looked away.

Yojeung looked at me like I was a riddle she couldn't figure out. "I'm not pitying you. Sorry if it sounded like that." She cleared out, then switched off the bedside lamp. "He told me everything. Your childhood friend, that you were injured, all of it." If this was a month ago, I'd strangle Kai and use wax strips on his arms to hurt him. It wasn't very nice to reveal things about other people to everyone. But then again, these were the Hellions. I had very little to worry about. Also, her brother was involved in this mess all because of me. She had a right to know what was going on.

"I was injured, but I'm okay now. My friend is okay too." I whispered while lying down in the dark.

"I know this is probably going to annoy you and we both need to sleep, so I'll cut this short." She breathed out. "Don't trust people so easily. Even if you've known them for really long, they can still lie to you."

If she said anything else, I didn't register it. When I woke up, Yojeung's side of the bed was empty, a neatly folded blanket placed on the edge. The clock on the wall opposite to me read 11:40 am. I had been asleep for so long.

I walked down the stairs, hoping I wouldn't encounter their parents instead. I hadn't even been introduced to them formally. What if they thought I was a trespasser and called the police?

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