A week has passed and many things have happened. We agreed on all the places we want to visit in Jeju Island and started to prepare our presentation.I still practiced the cartwheel for our performance and I can't do that!
I also stalked Choi Seungmin a bit, but it's hard, because Jungkook sticks to me like glue. Did he smell that I'm hiding something from him? Am I that obvious?
However, I didn't say that it's bad. I like to spend time with my boyfriend, but I also need space to get more information about Choi Seungmin.
We currently had swimming class except for me. I was watching the rest from the bench.
"Ms. Jeong, I don't want to rush you and I know that your accident during swimming still might haunts you, but I really need to give you a grade for swimming." Mr. Hoya said.
Right. The last time I went into the pool was during the incident when I fell into the water and almost drowned after I fought with Jungkook. It was also the same day where we made up.
"I don't know though, but I can try." I said.
"That's fine. Can you get your swimming suit, your towel and the other necessary things for the rest of the lesson?" he asked.
"Of course, I can. I'll hurry up." I quickly made my way to get all the stuff I need.
It won't be bad, right? After several minutes, I returned. Ready for swimming. I still had this weird feeling when I saw all the water.
"Alright. Should I call Mingyu for you?" Mr. Hoya suggested.
Before I could speak a word, someone answered.
"I can do it. Kim Mingyu is busy." Jungkook suddenly spoke from behind my back.
I flinched a little. Since when did he stand behind me?!
"Alright, Mr. Jeon. I hope you can teach her well." Mr. Hoya said.
"Ho! She learns all her lessons with me." Jungkook smirked at me.
Aish! I didn't see him smirking, but I heard and felt his devious smirk.
"Fine. I let you alone and look how the others are doing. Take care of her, Mr. Jeon." Mr. Hoya left.
"Of course, I do." Jungkook said.
I slowly turned around and crossed my arms.
"Since when did you listen to the conversation between Mr. Hoya and me?" I asked and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm honest. I heard everything." he said.
I rolled my eyes.
"So you just waited for the opportunity to teach me?" I asked.
"Of course. Do you think I would let you near Mingyu and let him touching you like last time?" Jungkook crossed his own arms.
"He just helped me. Is Kookie jealous?" I teased him.
"Yah! Of course, I'm jealous! Now I'm helping you." he said and took my hand.
We approached the pool and Jungkook used the stairs to go in, but I couldn't bring myself to go into the water with my whole body.
I thought it wouldn't be bad, but I was wrong. The images of me almost drowning in the water flashed through my mind.
"Come on, Yein. What are you waiting for?" he asked
"Jungkook, I'm scared!" I said and didn't move an inch.
"You don't need to be scared. It's not even deep here." he said.
"What if I swim too far to the deeper area without noticing it?" I asked.
Jungkook sighed.
"Come to me, babe." he said and reached his arm to me.
"Why?"
"I'm gonna hold you in my arms and we go together." Jungkook said and approached me.
I didn't even know whether it was a bad or good idea. I hesitated and took a deep breath.
"Okay, ... but don't go too far." I said.
"I won't." he said.
Jungkook wrapped his arms around my waist and my arms were on his shoulders. I snaked my legs around his hips and I pressed my body against his.
"Don't look around or into the water. Just look at me and everything's going to be fine, okay?" he said and I slowly nodded my head.
Jungkook took a few steps into the water and I felt how the water level increased. We went deeper and deeper.
"You can't drown here. It's not deep here at all." he didn't convince me though.
"Please, don't let go of me!" I pleaded and tightened the grip.
"I'm sorry, but I have to do so." he said.
"No! Please! I will drown!" I begged.
"Yein-ah, I won't let anything bad happen to you, but you need to stand on your own. Trust me, you're always safe in my presence." he tried to reassure me.
Jungkook slowly loosened the grip and took a step backwards, but I still wrapped my legs around him.
"Jungkook." I whispered.
"Touch the ground with your foot and you automatically feel better." he said.
I took a really deep breath and loosened myself from him. It was hard, but I straightened my legs and finally touched the ground with my foot. Did I finally stand on my own?
"You did it, Yein! Now take a few steps to me." Jungkook said.
Alright, Jeong Yein. It's just the same as walking outside the water, but slower. I took my first step and another one to Jungkook.
"Great job! It isn't scary at all, am I right?" he asked.
"I think I can take it."
"Then let's start with the basics." he said.
Jungkook showed me every technique for swimming like Mingyu, but Jungkook touched me much more than Mingyu did. I know I'm his girlfriend, but it felt as if he's desperate for it.
"Alright. Class is over!" Mr. Hoya said.
Finally! Jungkook helped me out of the swimming pool and even dried me with his towel.
"I can do it on my own, you know?" I chuckled.
"I just want to make sure that you won't catch a cold." Jungkook kissed my cheek.
I blushed. He did it again. In public!
"Kookie, I said not in public!" I pouted.
"I'm sorry that I can't get enough of you." he said.
Cheesy.
We quickly took a shower, changed our clothes and prepared ourselves for the next subject. Modern dance for me!
Jimin and I separated from the rest and made our way to the practice room.
"Yeinie, are you ready for your cartwheel?" Jimin asked.
"Tch. No, I'm totally not! I can't do that!" I whined.
"You just need to learn how to be confident on stage and in front of a big audience." Jimin patted my back.
"I will fail again and I'm sick of this! Should I skip class for today?" I asked innocently.
"Yah! Don't even dare to think such things. Jungkook will cut me into million pieces, if he finds out that I let you skip!" Jimin said.
"Fine." I sighed.
"Ms. Jeong!" a voice called me from behind.
Jimin and I turned around. Ms. Sica approached us.
"Did something happen?" I asked.
"Follow me and pack your stuff!" she commanded.
What?!
"Ms. Sica, what's wrong? Yein and I have modern dance class though." Jimin said.
"Ms. Yuri already knows that Yein won't attend any other classes for today. Ms. Jeong, come now!" Ms. Sica said firmly.
I won't have dancing class? Yaaas!
"Mr. Park, go now! You're going to be late. Ms. Jeong will come with me." she said.
Jimin and I exchanged a few gazes and needed to give in, we separated our ways. I followed Ms. Sica.
"Ms. Sica, what happened?" I asked.
"I will tell you later. Now go to your room and pack your stuff. I will wait outside in front of my car and don't worry. I already have your cellphone with me." she said.
"What? I don't understand."
"Just do it!" she raised her voice and I immediately rushed to my room and did what she said.
After a few minutes, I reached the parking lot outside and spotted Ms. Sica from afar. I quickly walked up to her.
"Put your luggage into the trunk and go sit on the passenger seat." she said and sat herself on the driver seat.
What the food is happening here?! I don't get anything, but I did what she said. After I sat next to her, she started the engine and drove off.
"You want to know what is happening here, right?" Ms. Sica stated.
"Exactly what I want." I commented.
"Alright. Actually, your mom got sick and y- ..." Ms. Sica couldn't finish her sentence.
"My mom is sick?! Is she alright?! Is it serious?" I panicked.
"Yah! Firstly , she is alright. She has a fever, but it should be gone soon. Secondly, it's rude to interrupt someone. Last, but not least, don't panic!" she said.
My mom is sick?!
"Her boss contacted your brother, but he is really busy in his college, so he contacted me to send you home. He wants you to take care of your mother." Ms. Sica explained.
"I've never taken care of my mother alone. Sungyoon was by my side all the time." I said.
"Don't worry. He will come on Friday to look after you. I don't think that your mom will be sick for long. You will be able to return to Soul Academy on Monday for sure." she said.
"Who knows about all this?" I asked.
"All your teachers." she replied.
"So none of my classmates know about my whereabouts?" I asked.
"The teachers will inform them about it." she reassured me.
After a few hours, we reached Seoul and Ms. Sica brought me home. She couldn't stay longer, because she had errands to do in Soul Academy. I immediately made my way to mom's room. When I opened the door, she was lying in her bed.
"Oh! Honey, what are you doing here?" she asked quietly and tried to stand up, but I immediately stopped her.
"Mom, don't stand up. Sungyoon informed my school that he is too busy, so now I'm looking after you." I explained.
"What about Soul Academy? Won't you miss too many lessons?" she asked.
"We don't have any hard projects, so I won't miss anything." I reassured her.
"I don't want to be a burden to you." mom said.
"It's okay. I will always take care of you, if you need me." I said.
She nodded her head slowly and yawned.
"You should go to sleep. Don't worry, okay?" I said.
"Thanks, Yein." she said weakly and closed her eyes.
When she fell asleep, I immediately prepared a wet towel and put it on her forehead. I remembered the old times when I got sick. Mom and Sungyoon always looked after me. Sungyoon didn't even let my friends near me, because I should rest.
The doorbell suddenly rang. I quietly went downstairs and opened the door.
"Yein?" the person asked.
"Ms. Lee?" I asked.
Ms. Lee was my neighbor, a woman in her 50s and she used to travel a lot, but she visited us a few times to babysit us when my mom wasn't around.
"Long time no see! How are you?" she asked.
"I'm fine. What about you?" I asked back.
"Great. I thought you're attending that academy. What was the name again?" she asked.
"Soul Academy. Yes, but I returned for a few days to look after my mother." I explained.
"Oh! Is she sick? What a shame. I planned to visit her after my journey to Africa." she explained.
"My mom will surely recover soon." I reassured her.
"It must be exhausting to return home from an academy. You know what? You should go out and I will take care of her!" Ms. Lee suggested.
"What? No! It's my job." I insisted.
"Oh come on. You're a young girl and I have nothing to do. I should take care of her." she said.
"But I sh- ..."
"I won't leave this house anyway." she interrupted me.
I gave in. Who would be able to fight her?
"Alright. Where's your mom?" she went inside and took off her jacket.
"She is in her bedroom sleeping." I answered.
"I see. You can do whatever you want and I will handle her." she said.
And this is how it began. Ms. Lee started to cook chicken soup, cleaned the house, so no dirt would come close to my mom and took care of her.
I tried to help wherever I could, but she didn't let me. I gave up, so I went into my room and didn't know what to do. Aish! I'm supposed to be the one who should look after my mom, but Ms. Lee is seriously hard to convince.
Do I have anything to do? Wait! I actually do! Halla! I'm in Seoul, so I should visit her and look how she's doing. Also, I need to tell her about Choi Seungmin. I prepared myself and went downstairs.
"Yein, where are you going?" Ms. Lee asked.
"I'm going to visit a friend of mine." I answered.
"Great! You should take time for yourself." she said.
"Please, take care of my mom." I reminded her.
"Do you think I would let her down? Impossible!" she laughed.
"Alright. I'm going now. See ya!" I said.
"Goodbye!" she said and I left.
I made my way to the psychiatry. I remembered the day I met Halla for the first time. She used to be really quiet and distant. The first thing I thought was that she resembled me a little bit.
When I entered the building, the receptionist and I greeted each other and I quickly went to Halla's room.
"Surprise!" I entered her room.
"Yein? What a surprise. Don't you have school?" she asked.
Halla was sitting on her usual place and I sat myself next to her.
"Not for this week. I just wanted to visit you." I said.
"I see. How are you doing?" Halla asked.
"Well, ... not so good. I actually found someone."
"Who?" she asked.
This is hard, but she needs to know about it.
"... Choi Seungmin, ... one of your ... rapists." I explained slowly.
Halla didn't speak a single word and only bowed her head.
"Halla? Are you okay? ... I'm trying to find proves for what he did to you."
"Where's he now?" she asked calmly.
"He actually attends Soul Academy. He failed his last year and needs to repeat it." I explained.
"How's he?" she asked.
"I don't know much about him, but I'll definitely know more soon. Don't worry!"
Halla exhaled a huge amount of oxygen.
"Thanks for ruining my day, Jeong Yein." she said.
"What?!" I exclaimed.
Did I hear wrong?!
"Just a joke. That was sarcasm." she chuckled.
What?!
"How are you taking this so easy?" I asked confused.
"Well, because I easily believe in you. I believe that you will save me from the past. That's it." she explained.
I slowly smiled at her. Her words directly touched my heart.
"I will set you free!" I said confidently.
"I know that." she said.
"Alright. How are you actually doing?" I changed the topic.
Small-talk, you know?
"I'm doing really great. I did a few tests with the doctor last week and he was really surprised with my current condition. He thinks that I'm recovering faster than before." Halla explained.
"Really? Congratulations!" I patted my back.
"I'm so grateful with all the things you've done for me. Thanks to you, I might leave this place soon." she said.
"I hope so. I bet you miss your home."
"I do. The doctor even contacted my parents. They will visit me tomorrow." she said excitedly.
"Did your parents visit you before?"
"They did, but I used to ignore everyone, so they gave up. They still ask the doctor about my condition, but my presence used to depressed them too much, I guess." she said.
"That's good."
"I can't wait to see my family and friends again." she said.
"With friends, you surely mean Dayoung and Yugyeom, right?"
"Yes. I really want to see them again." she smiled brightly.
I hope everything goes well, so she will keep this smile on her face.
"I have many photos of them with me together. You want to see what they used to look like?" Halla suggested.
"I would love to." I agreed.
"Great. Can you hand me the box on the table behind you? I kept all my photos inside this box." she pointed at it.
"Sure." I stood up and went to the table to get the box.
"Are there photos of Dayoung and Yugyeom only or do h- ..." I accidentally dropped the box.
All the photos fell out of the box.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I bent down to collect them.
"It's okay." Halla approached me and helped me.
We collected the photos and put them back into the box until I found a certain photo. My heart stopped pounding, everything was silent and the whole world stopped spinning. It's just a photo, but that photo broke my heart into million pieces.
It was a picture of Halla ... and ...
... Jungkook ...
... kissing ... each other.
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Some of you already expected this, but I hope that the others aren't too surprised. Stay tuned!
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