Yeojin's POV
I was in my room for the first time in several days. I'm not gonna lie, it felt strange to be back. It wasn't like a bad strange, it definitely felt nice to be back, but hey it was still strange nonetheless.
I looked through my notebooks from school, and I honestly forgot about how classes were going to start again in only a month. This summer break really had been a wild ride, and still is.
After staring at my math problems for several more minutes, I hear a knock at the front door and of our house. Knowing that my parents had the keys anyway, I didn't bother going downstairs. A few seconds later, I hear the door open and my mother announce that they were back. I did not reply.
I picked up my phone, checking for any update from the triplets, who were currently right outside my house. Yerim hid in the bushes at the front of the house, Hyunjin was hiding in a tree in the back and Hyeju was vibing on the roof. What I had to do was check for any suspicious activity in my own house.
When I looked in my DMs, I notice that Yerim had sent a thumbs-up emoji at the time my parents came back, which meant that no one had followed them. I sigh in relief. The other two hadn't sent me any messages, which meant that there wasn't anything going on yet.
Pass a couple hours and my parents still didn't bother knocking at my door room to say hello. It makes me kind of disappointed, but it's not like I did anything for them either.
I was busy looking through my room for anything out of place. I had noticed that a few items had gone missing for some reason, so I decide to text Yerim about it. After I sent the message, I see the three dots pop up, and then Yerim confesses that there may have been a few... hidden cameras.
MY GIRLFRIEND YERIM✨
7:46
AYO WHAT THE FUCK
I knowwww... I'm sorry for not telling you this sooner..
wait no its fine at least you told me about it
did you get them all out?
Yeah! Don't worry I made sure everything was clean
omg thank god okay
oh my mom just called for dinner
im gonna go now bye stay safe ❤️
Of course! Ily 💜
I barely manage to keep in a squeal.
7:49
ASSFADAA OKAY ILYT 🧡
[🥰] from MY GIRLFRIEND YERIM ✨
I close my phone, scream into my pillow, and then I head downstairs to eat.
"So... how have you been these past few days?"
The table is quieter than usual, whatever the hell usual meant for us. There's this weird and awkward tension, but it wasn't from me. My parents, especially my father, have been silently eating without sparing a glance at anything else. I hate this so much, I'm losing my appetite. Not that it was a problem anyway, since I finished most of my food already.
I did try to start a few conversations here and there, but my mother would reply with simple phrases, while my dad didn't say anything at all. I was close to asking what was wrong, but those thoughts are interrupted by my mom.
"Well... I didn't do much, really. I hung out in my friend's house from time to time, but that's about it." I reply, lying about my activities. I couldn't have my parents know about any of this. They would kill me if they knew, and Yerim would kill me if she knew that they knew.
My mother hums at the response, and asks another question.
"What's the name of the person you were with? While you were hanging out?" It was an innocent question, but I couldn't help but get jumpy and defensive.
"W-well she's just a friend! Why do you need to know who they are?" I ask back, and my mother seems surprised at how defensive I got.
"Why so jumpy? I just asked a question." She frowns and I look around.
"Sorry..." I apologize. Mom sighs.
"It's alright. Just... I hope you've been doing well, Yeojin. I know we haven't been around a lot, but you know our jobs aren't really.. scheduled. We can get calls at any time, and we have to be there."
Now, my parents never told me what kind of occupation they had. Even if I keep asking and pestering them about it, they keep their mouths shut. I found it weird, and I still do. What kind of job was so frantic and disorganized anyway?
One time I did a research about work schedules for different jobs, but I had found nothing that even resembled the schedule my parents had. So I concluded that they didn't have 'normal' jobs.
Just like the triplets.
I sigh and look up to my mother, forcing a smile.
"It's okay.. I got used to it." I wasn't a complete lie; I did get used to it. But it doesn't mean that I didn't feel lonely.
Well, at least I didn't feel like that anymore.
Yerim's POV
I was furiously texting Hyunjin and Hyeju in our groupchat, asking them to stop sending memes and focus on our job. Which was keeping Yeojin and her parents safe.
After I pleaded them to stop for the nth time, Hyeju pointed out that I also was on my phone.
The Three Musketriplets
8:13
aeong🥺: CAUGHT IN 4K
choerry😄:What does that even mean???
hyeju😒: it means bofa
choerry😄: Bofa?
hyeju🥺: BOFA DEEZ NUTS IN YOUR MOUTH
aeong🥺: HAH GOTTEM
I shut my phone and rub my temples out of stress. My face was burning, and if I were to look in a mirror I probably wouldn't be looking so different from a tomato. I was tricked, backstabbed, and quite possible bamboozled.
Setting back my rage and embarrassment from getting caught like that (caught in 4k or whatever Hyunjin meant), I focus back on my main task. Although my current position was uncomfortable -I have to lay stomach down on a field of bushes and let me tell you, you feel like crying when a stick pokes your side-, I keep it in for the safety of my girlfriend. My heart immediately warms when I imagine her sweet smile.
Who knows how long I've been guarding the front of the house when I heard loud noises come from inside. I quickly pull out my phone again to ask Yeojin if everything is alright, to which she explained that it's just her parents being loud and happy. She also tells me that she's having a really good bonding time with them (that probably happens rarely, knowing their hectic and unpredictable schedule), and my heart aches, thinking about my own parents, and how I killed them just like that despite how much they gave me.
Even though Yeojin doesn't know how I actually felt about that whole mentioning her parents thing, she still apologizes for possibly bringing up my nightmares. It mended my heart a little, knowing that she really pays attention to me. That's why I should do the same to her.
The small moment quickly dissipates though, when I see a message from Hyunjin through the notifications.
New message from Hyunjin🥺 in The Three Musketriplets: intruder in the backyard, i'll take care of him. stay focused.
I curse under my breath. Jaehyun really is crazy enough to send people during Yeojin's time at her house. Instead of pulling out my gun, I take out a knife. We can not open fire, or else that would alert Yeojin's parents. Speaking about Yeojin, I quickly send her an eyeball emoji, which was a code that meant 'intruder - stay on alert'.
Yeojin's POV
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't trembling right now.
I've just received Yerim's text to be careful and although I promised myself I wouldn't get scared, it's only natural to be afraid. But I trust my friends with my life -which is quite literally what's happening right now- and I know they're going to keep my parents safe. I don't know how I could ever repay them.
I had thought previously that this was really risky, and they shouldn't sacrifice so much for me, but the triplets quickly shut that down.
Choerry put her hands on my shoulders and looked at me dead in the eyes.
"Yeojin. Not only are you the prettiest, cutest, and most adorable thing on the planet, you have an amazing personality (thats almost nonexistent because the author doesn't know what character development is). If there's anyone on this planet I would gladly put my life on the line to protect, it's you. I love you so much, and I'm not going to lose you." She spoke without hesitation, serious as ever. Not a single one of her words was a lie, and I could see it in her eyes.
Yes, including the part where my personality doesn't exist because the writer did not plan the story to go this far.
"You might be a little gremlin like- all the time, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you die." Hyeju had followed. Despite being a single sentence, it was enough for me to tear up. Yes I am a sensitive bitch shut up.
"A true friend will give their life to protect who they love. If I can't protect you, then what am I?" Hyunjin finished off, easily turning me into a fountain of tears, which then took an entire hour to stop. Hyeju handed me a bottle of water afterwards, with her only word being "hydration".
I can't help but tear up a little, recalling what happened yesterday. But I quickly get snapped out of my thoughts by my parents.
"Oh- Yeojin, are you alright?" My mom asks after minutes of us loudly conversing and laughing. Even dad joined in sometime afterwards, seemingly done with his 'out of it' mood. I still don't know what it was all about, but I shake it off.
"Oh yeah I'm fine, just thought of frogs being sad." I randomly come up with an excuse, which makes my mom crack up a little.
"Frogs can be sad now?" My dad asked, clearly teasing.
"Wha- of course they can! They're living beings and they have different personalities and emotions! What makes you think they're heartless creatu-"
A loud bang goes off at the front of the house, which shocks me to the core. I panic, immediately thinking about the worst case scenarios.
Is Yerim okay?
__________
idk either im gonna decide if she d words or not depending on my mood /j
yes this chapter is a bit shorter than my LONG ASS RECENT ONES just pretend this has 2.5k words