Chapter 19
Away
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[[ JIYOO ]]
I put on my jacket and locked the door to my apartment. Fog swirled before me everytime I breathe. I made my way down the stairs after calling a taxi, not even minding the expense anymore.
I stood still in the coldness of the night, waiting for the taxi to come. When it did, I was already holding the door when I heard a familiar voice that made my heart skip a beat.
"Son Jiyoo!"
I slowly turned to find Changgu with a bandage wrapped around his head. He's wearing Seunghyub's clothes earlier. He ran towards me, panting. "There you are." He said.
"Changgu," I said in all seriousness. "What are you doing?"
He smiled at me. "I came to drive you to your hometown. Seunghyub-ssi told me everything." He looked down on himself, "He even let me borrow his clothes." He walked closer to me and looked at my face as if searching for something. His eyes narrowed when he found it. He tucked strands of hair behind my ear. "I'm sorry about my mom. Really." He said.
I lightly touched the redness of my cheek where it stung. "Go back to the hospital. You need to rest." I told him.
"Jiyoo..."
I looked at him in the eye as I teared up again. "Please, just go back."
He looked at me and sighed before pulling me into a warm embrace. "I'm not leaving you. Remember that."
⛄⛄
[[ CHANGGU ]]
I stopped the car to refill the tank. I looked at Jiyoo beside me who had fallen asleep through the car ride. The redness of her cheek was still there. It angered me that the reason for that was my own mother. I got myself beaten up just to protect her but...
She slowly opened her eyes that were quite swollen from crying. I smiled softly at her.
"Where are we?" She asked without moving.
"Just almost out of Seoul."
We just looked at each other for a while.
"What are you thinking?" She asked.
"I can't believe what my mom did to you. I tried to protect you from your father's hands but it was my mother's that ended up hurting you."
"I understand her. You're her most precious son." She said with a little smile.
"Stop it. She's wrong. Do you think your mom would slap me if it the situation was the opposite?"
Her smile widened. "No, my mom can't even hurt a fly."
"I'm really sorry, Jiyoo."
"Me, too." She said, "But are you okay? You're not feeling anything bad?" She asked worriedly.
I nodded with a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. What about you? Are you hungry?"
"Why? Are you hungry?" She asked, slightly grinning.
I laughed. "Yeah,"
"Then, let's stop by for food."
We bought sandwiches and drinks but Jiyoo was only staring at hers quietly.
"Why aren't you eating?" I asked.
She immediately forced a smile. "Just lost in thoughts."
I looked down at my sandwich, weighing my next words to say. "Jiyoo."
"Hm?"
"My parents will surely sue your father. Will that be alright with you?"
She looked at me straight in the eyes. "What makes you think it won't be okay? He hurt you and Seunghyub. He came to hurt me." She swallowed hard, looking away. "He deserves it."
"Usually, he can be sentenced with a maximum of six months in prison for simple assaultㅡbut if, well, my parents... sue for aggravated assault, it can go up to twenty years. They're good lawyers. They might be able to do that."
Tears glistened in her eyes again. "My father has hurt me and my mom for years. We sent him away, but he left us nightmares. He showed up again and he hurt people I care about. Whatever punishment he gets..." She paused, wiping her tears away. "It's about time he gets it."
I reached across the table and held her hand. It pains me that she's hurting and I can't do anything to take it away.
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[[ JIYOO ]]
We reached my hometown by dawn. As we walked towards the old house where I used to live, my heart began racing and ugly memories flooded my head.
I stopped walking and held Changgu by the arm. "Wait," I said, sweating despite the cold weather.
He wrapped his arms around me and I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. "You're okay. I won't let anyone hurt you." Changgu said softly.
I buried my face on his chest, staying like that for a while because I felt safe in his arms.
But then I had to face my fears. So slowly, we continued walking towards the houseㅡpast the front lawn where my father dragged me from Seunghyub's house no matter how much I begged, to the door that locked me and mom inside. I knocked twice. The door immediately opened. Mom quickly wrapped her arms around me.
"I'm so sorry, sweetie." She mumbled.
I hugged her tightly and closed my eyes, taking in her familiar scent. This house isn't my home, but in my mother's arms, I'm home. "I missed you, mom." I told her.
Changgu was looking around the house, giving me and my mom a time to talk between us. He introduced himself earlier to my mom. I turned to her. "Since when did he come back?" I asked.
She crossed her arms and avoided my gaze. "About three months ago. He was released. I... thought he'd changed. I thought it's impossible that he didn't change through all the rehab process."
I put my hand over my temple as I leaned back to the couch. "Why didn't you tell me, mom? Did he hurt you?"
She shook her head. "No, he didn't hurt me at all. So, I was really surprise when the cops showed up here." She explained, "I didn't tell you because I know you'd worry and you resent your father a lot."
I looked at her, feeling my chest tightening. "Mom, isn't what he did to us back then enough for you to completely erase him from our lives? Isn't the damage he did to you and I enough for you to not take him back? I..." I said, voice trembling and vision blurring with tears. "I still get nightmares about him. I wake up in the middle of the night shaking in fear because no matter how hard I try, I can't forget what we went through because of him."
"Jiyoo..."
"Why can't you stop taking him back!" I couldn't help my voice from rising. My mom flinched in surprise. I let out a sigh and covered my face with my hands. "I'm sorry, mom."
I felt arms wrapped around me. Mom kissed my head, crying. "I'm sorry. I knew you've been through a lot, but I didn't realize you're still having a hard time because of your father. I'm sorry. I won't take him back anymore. I just..." Her voice broke as she said, "I must love him so much."
It brought me back to the past; when we would hug each other and cry together, when we only had each other.
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The next morning, I brought Changgu to the town's coffeeshop for breakfast. "Isn't it small?" I asked him.
He smiled, "Yeah, but it's nice. I love countryside since I also came from one."
"Right, I keep forgetting that. You just seem like a Seoul-person."
"Is that so? My parents' hard work paid off. Ever since I was a kid, they never talked to me in a different accent other than Seoul's."
I looked at him and smiled. "Changgu-ya, do you wanna see the seaside later?"
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[[ CHANGGU ]]
After breakfast, Jiyoo brought me to the seaside. I looked at her as we walked. I watched the way her hair danced with the cool wind.
"I have a question." She said, giving me a quick glance.
"What is it?"
"Do you get along well with your parents?" She asked carefully. "You don't need to answer if you don't want to."
"Hm," I shoved my hands inside my jean pockets. "I get along pretty well with my dad. You probably noticed already, even though they're both lawyers, they're so different."
She nodded. "Yeah, they seem to be."
We stopped and stood by the shore, staring at the sea and the huge waves. The last time I was in a beach, I felt like the saddest person alive. "My mom is intense, right? She's always been the one who kept pushing me to do better. She got mad whenever my grades would drop. I hated it. Even so, later, I considered that she only wanted what's best for me."
She nodded again, "I'm sure she does."
"I still can't forgive her for hurting you though." I said.
She looked at me and smiled. "What about your dad?"
"My dad and I have always been more alike. You know how there's a bad cop and a good cop in the family? He's the good one." I said smiling a little. "He was happy enough that I was doing well in things that I decide to do. He's very supportive."
"Whoa, you'd wonder how they fell in love even when they're so different."
I took a deep breath, "Well, my parents are not married because of love. They were set for each other. Both from good families of lawyers."
She tucked her hair behind her ear and I couldn't help myself from gazing. "I'm sorry to hear that, Changgu."
"It's okay. I'm glad that I know that fact."
She grinned, "Do they ever get so argumentative when fighting? Like, do they recite law acts the way you did yesterday?" she asked playfully.
I chuckled. "Argumentative? Yes. But they don't do what I did yesterdayㅡand can we please just forget about that? It felt cool to say at that moment."
She laughed, looking at me and then it slowly dissipated. "Would you allow yourself for that kind of marriage?" She suddenly asked. When I didn't reply, heat rose to her cheeks. "Or haven't that passed your mind?"
I thought about her question and I thought about marriage, and then I was thinking of her in a wedding dress and how beautiful she would look. I shook my head slightly. "Uh... no way." I answered, "I want to marry for love."
She smiled softly, fixing her gaze on the waves. "That's good to hear. Your future wife is lucky."
"You think so?"
She nodded, lifting a thumb up. "I know so."
"Why?" I asked.
She looked at me like she's seeing more about me that I, myself, don't even know yet. "Because you'll take good care of her." She replied and for some reason, there was a sudden hint of sadness in her voice.
She laid down the dry sand and looked up at the morning sky. I laid down beside her without a word. And then, she turned her head towards me. "Yeo Changgu,"
I turned my head towards her so we were facing each other. "What?"
"I really, reeeeally thank you. No matter how much time passes by, I don't think I'd ever forget you."
"Jiyoo..."
She smiled sweetly and it took a lot of energy to keep my hand from touching her face. "You know what, when I first saw you, you had the saddest pair of eyes I've ever seen." Her eyes traveled into mine. "Now, I don't know what it is, but they seem to shine everytime. I'm glad you seem to be happy now."
I grinned nervously. "Are you becoming marshmallow on me now?" I asked jokingly.
She chuckled, "I'm just saying. I'm glad I met you."
"Are you going somewhere? You talk like someone who's going away." I saidㅡand at first, I was still joking about it but I realized what I said could be true. I sat up and looked at her. "Wait, you're not going away, are you?"
Her smile faltered. "Can I tell you something that might really make you uncomfortable?"
My heart accelerates. "What... is it?"
She sat up and took a deep breath. "I... I didn't expect this to happen. I don't know when and how it started. I promise I tried to stop it... because I know," She paused, brows furrowing.
"What are you trying to say, Jiyoo?" I asked softly.
"I know you're in love with someone else, but... I still like you so much anyway." She said, her eyes that sparkled with tears looking into mine.
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A/N: OOOoooOoof 🥰
Our Jiyoo confessed! She did IT!!