A/n: Just heads up, some hints at mature themes in this chapter, so proceed with caution!
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The moon high in the sky, the Thursday evening was a little bit chilly.
Yebin sighed, as she waited patiently outside the night club.
So much for date night.
Today was just one of those days where both Hojun and Yebin were free enough to go on an actual date. It had been way too long since they have been to one, since they have been so busy with work. Date night was a rarity, so they need to try to plan it as best as they can.
Their night consisted of going to their favorite restaurant then walking about Hongdae to check out the people who were busking.
However, their date was cut short when someone called Hojun. Apparently, some kind of fiasco had happened at the night club that Hojun should help with. And of course, they went. Yebin couldn't really voice her disappointment, she knew this job was important to her boyfriend... but honestly, to call him on his free day was annoying.
And so, there she waited outside the entrance of the busy building. Her mind was all over the place.
Well, one place.
And that place was Youngho.
All of his kind gestures towards her have replayed over and over ever since that day of the notorious frat party. When Yebin found out that Seungmo and a couple others had been arrested officially for having a stash of illegal drugs in their possession, she was absolutely shocked. It was Youngho's call that lead to that. She felt all kinds of weird. These guys that were arrested were Hanui and Hojun's acquaintances. They knew each other to some degree. And yet, this happened.
Yebin couldn't really say or do much when she witnessed the siblings go ballistic over the news. She didn't want to slip out that she could have been a victim to Seungmo's drugging...
Youngho have saved and helped her far too many times. The short-haired girl felt too much of a burden. What had she done for him to help her so much? All she had done was show all her worse sides to him.
She really wanted him to rely on her too, but all she could do was wait and pray.
It wasn't too long ago when Youngho and called her of the news of making his possible debut soon. Apparently, there were talks about a new subunit to NCT, so the company was currently picking out members to be a part of it. And from Yebin could understand, Youngho was a high contender for the lineup. This boy had been training for nearly 10 years! He had performed for SM Rookies and have more than enough talents.
Yebin just need to wait for the message that he was accepted.
Once that happens, Yebin plans to be the best supporter. That was the most she could ever do for Suh Youngho, she wished she could do more after all the things he done for her.
Buzz.
The girl flinched in surprise, nearly dropping her phone to the ground. She fumbled with the screen, unlocking the device to read the message she just received. With held breath, she read.
> So I got the news.
> And...
How excruciating! What was the point of this boy dragging out the news as long as he could? Can't she just tell her already so she can jump and celebrate for him?
"Yebin?"
The call of her name jolted her back to reality. Just as she picked her head to see who it was, her heart drop to her stomach. Standing before her, in a disheveled suit, was a man staring straight her with a just-as-surprised expression. He was with a few other men in suits, mostly likely his coworkers, who looked upon her with curiosity. He then ushered them away, saying he would join them soon.
Yebin crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed into a deadly glare.
Just when she thought she was having a decent day, her hellbent father appeared before her. Sounds about right. Nothing really does goes Park Yebin's way for long.
"Why are you making it seem like we're close, ahjussi?"
A firm frown crossed the man's face as he took a step closer. Automatically, Yebin took a step back. "Don't be like that, Yebin..." The man uttered. "I haven't seen you in months."
"Should've been longer if not for this," she snarled back. Frustrated, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her pierced ear. She couldn't believe it. She wished she had the power to just poof into fine dust and disappear at this moment.
"Yebin..." Without her noticing, her father reached out to place his hand on her shoulder. However, Yebin caught it last second and smacked the hand away. This caused a couple onlookers, but none to bring too much attention. "Can you please not do this? Should you really treat your father this way?"
She grimaced. "You're not my father."
It was like he had been shot. The way the wrinkles of his face shifted, a state of shock. Yebin wasn't sure why he reacts that way. This man made it blatantly clear where their relationship stood.
"Didn't we agree to not pay any attention to each other?" A heavy sigh left her painted red lips. "Why are you approaching me like we are on good terms?"
He looked frustrated now, seeing how she wasn't going to break from this. His adam's apple bobbed as he gulped. The look of his eyes, there was a different glint to them now. "I heard how you dropped off Sian to the house a while ago."
Yebin gawked at him, not expecting this change in conversation. She didn't think Garin would talk about that nasty encounter. "You were with a boy that wasn't Hojun." It was her turn to be horrified. She could feel her chest constricting but she kept her facial expression neutral. "Who is he?"
"Why does it matter to you?" She scoffed at him. "That's none of your business."
"You had appeared at the house once again with some other boy. Can I not be concerned?—"
It was making her go insane. She completely hates how this man was mentioning Youngho. "Why should you?!"
"What's your relation to him? Can't I ask that?!" Her father shot back, just as loud as her.
"He's just a friend, okay? A friend! I swear to god, if your trash of a wife really told you otherwise—"
"Park Yebin." His harsh, low voice stopped her in her tracks. That tone... it made her body tremble. Her past flashed in and out of her mind. Yebin despised this. "Don't you dare talk about your stepmother like that. I only say these things because I am always so concerned about your well-being and you seem to be going further and further down in this blackhole!"
"There you go again, assuming shit," Yebin sneered, disgust dripping from her voice. "That rotten mindset of yours. The moment something isn't to your tastes, you completely reject it. Wasn't this why mother left?"
Her words had struck a chord. Anger danced in his eyes. "You say I assume but you don't know what happened in the past. It is painful to see how much of your mother I see in you."
What was that supposed to mean?
Yebin would have preferred to be stabbed, than to have this fucked up chat with her father. It was making her head spin and she wanted to puke.
"What the fuck is going on?" Before Yebin could say anything else, Hojun appeared in front of her. She stumbled back, the true fiery storm about to come if she doesn't interfere. Her father and boyfriend stared each other down, electricity clashing from their gazes. "What are you doing here, old man?"
"I'm just here by pure coincidence. I'm not looking for a fight," Her father uttered.
"Sounds like you were though." Hojun stepped forward, eyes blazing with anger. "Why try to fix shit that can't be fixed, huh? You've only started bullshit every time we see you. What you could have done was continue walking and not pay her any attention, but you still want to call her your daughter? Aren't you sick in the head?"
"You have no right to say that, young man."
"What you say?!" Yebin clasped her hands around Hojun's arm, as it was raised in a threatening pose. "Yebin, let me go. I'm going to show this man where his place should be!"
He tried to wriggle out her grasp, but Yebin held on stronger. The attention have gathered. She could feel strangers' surprised stares on the three of them. "Don't! People are watching, Hojun-ah. It's not worth it!" She pulled at his arm, tugging him the direction to their parked car. "Let's go. Just leave him be!"
Finally, she successfully dragged him away from the scene. The chatter from others surrounded them, but she didn't care then. Yebin knew they needed to leave now.
Just as they reached the car at the curb and got inside, Hojun revved up the engine with a loud roar and they went off. Yebin got one last glance at her father from out the window, soon a speck in the distance.
Hojun... was driving fast. Yebin could feel her body dig into her seat and bob around as her boyfriend swerved around the slow cars. No, they weren't slow, they were going to right speed. What was going on? Was Hojun that furious right now? Yebin clawed at the armrest.
"H-Hojun?"
He was listening. He was far gone.
"HOJUN!" She shrieked.
Turn of the wheel, the whole car screeched to a halt at the curb, out from the actual street. Thump. Yebin yelped as her head had smacked against the window from the fast movements.
They both heaved. The girl's whole body felt like it was electrocuted, she was shaking from that insane drive. She whipped her head at him. "What was that, Hojun?!" Yebin boomed at him. "I get you're angry but that was no fucking way to deal with it!" Her words had gone in one ear and out the ear. He didn't say a thing when he exited the driver's seat and slammed the door closed. He walked to the front of the car and before Yebin knew it, he was kicking the hood with full force. Frightened, Yebin scrambled out of the car and ran over to her rampant boyfriend. "What the fuck, Hojun! STOP!"
She was instantly shoved away. Yebin gawked at him in shock. His anger... was towards her too.
"I—fucking hell, Park Yebin." His fingers tugged at his messy dark locks. "I saw the whole damn thing. What that bastard said, was it true?" Yebin wasn't sure how to reply to him. She was confused as hell. His hand gripped onto her arm... his grasp was so tight. "Who the fuck were you with when you were with Sian?" Hojun showed a crazed smile. "Was it that one asshole?! That guy that you were with that one night last winter?"
Speechless. Yebin was completely speechless.
"It was... Hah..." Hojun shook his head. He didn't want to believe it. Yebin couldn't even lie right now. She felt so guilty... but what for? Why did she have to feel guilty right now? She didn't do anything wrong, but that betrayed expression on her boyfriend's face told her otherwise. "You know, I did notice something was off. There was something different to you that I couldn't quite place. Like, when you told me you wanted to get back into writing songs? That was weird. You haven't written a song in years and suddenly you wanted to do it again? So, what? Your fan, your boy toy convinced you to do so? I've told you too plenty of times, but you always put it off! What makes him so different?"
Yebin interjected, "Youngho didn't do anything!"
"Ah, his name is Youngho, huh?" Hojun seethed out. "Fuck, Yebin. You were in contact with him this whole time, huh?! Were you ever going to tell me about it? You tried to keep this relationship a secret from me. Are you fucking guilty of something, Yebin?"
"Don't start that crap with me, Hojun!" She shot back. Trembling, Yebin tried to stand tall. This wasn't something she could just wave off and apologize for. Not this time. "Why would you think that of me? You think I'm cheating on you? Suddenly, you have no trust in me? What did I ever do to make you think that?"
"I don't know, Yebin. You're the one not telling me about this guy! So, there's clearly something going on."
It was like a shot to heart.
Of course there wasn't anything between the two of them.
Right?
"This. This is exactly why I couldn't tell you shit, Hojun. You're blowing it out of proportion!" Yebin yelled. "There's nothing wrong with having friends."
A forced laugh left Hojun's chapped lips. "Yebin, you—you really are something. You're suddenly so bold. Don't you remember when you said that you can't trust anyone except for me and Hanui? That we are the only people you need in your life? You don't need anyone else. Who else would take care of you as much as we do?"
Conflicted. Hurt. Confused.
Yebin was sure she was looking at her boyfriend, the man she had known for most of her life. But, at this moment, Hojun felt like someone else. He was someone she could not recognize. Someone that was drowning her in the depths of a dark, deep ocean.
Suffocating.
She was suffocating. She had been this whole time.
Was she just now coming to terms with it?
"You can't even answer me." Yebin met Hojun's eyes through misty vision. "This is some shit. Some fucking bullshit. I should have known he would be trouble the moment I saw him that night. You don't usually talk back at me. That Youngho corrupted you."
"Are you sure it was him?"
Oh.
Yebin bit down on her tongue. She didn't meant to say that. It was spur of the moment. She wasn't supposed to say that, it just fell out her lips like gush.
"I see," Hojun murmured. He nodded his head, one last glare. "Find your own way home, alright?"
"Wh-What?"
She should've moved, got in the way. Yet, Yebin watched as the leather-clad male entered his car without baring her a glance. The car roared to life again. Yebin was about to scream at him, but he drove out from the curb and zoomed off.
He was fast again. He didn't stop.
Hojun... left her there.
Yebin was breathless. What even were the events just now? Did that really happen?
She crumbled down to the concrete sidewalk, her heart hurting. Why does the world hate her so much? What did she do for her to deserve all of this?
If life was going to be this cruel to her...
What was the point?
Maybe the world didn't want her.
A buzz.
Yebin blinked away the tears from her eyes as she rummaged through her bag for her phone. As she picked it up and saw the ID, she wanted to cry harder. But, she held back her sobs as she answered the call. How can someone have such impeccable timing?
"Yebin?—"
"Youngho, can we please meet up?"
"...Of course."