I stood in front of Chung-Ho's house, unsure what to do.
Maybe this had been a stupid idea.
What was I? some crazy Ex you couldn't get rid of?
I always wanted to do it like Jimin: shrug with my shoulders, say "whatever" and then go on with my life as if nothing could bother me.
But this time was different.
Not only did I deserve an explanation more than just: "I wanna break up. I don't think this is working out", but Taehyung had been suspicious earlier when they talked about his apparent absence.
It was time to confront this problem once and for all and get some information out of Chung-Ho.
Taking a deep breath, I was just about to knock when the front door opened.
I stumbled back as I came face to face with two police officers.
What the hell?
They looked at me for a second before Mrs. Seong, Chung-Ho's mother appeared behind them.
She looked pale and shaken.
"Oh, Y/N." she let out surprised when she saw me standing in front of their porch.
"You know this girl, ma'am?", one of the officer's asked and the older woman nodded.
"Yes, she is my son's boyfriend."
Huh, I thought with an inner snort, someone hasn't broken the news yet.
"Oh, " the other police officer now said, his eyes filling with pity and understanding.
"We're very sorry what happened to him. But no worries, we'll do our best to find out who attacked him."
I stared at them wide eyed. Attacked him?
My expression must have been obvious as Mrs Seong snapped for air.
"Oh my, has he not told you? I though he texted you already?"
The police officer on the right shot me a soothing look, as if hoping to calm me down. "I'm afraid your boyfriend has been mugged on Friday night and was beaten up pretty roughly."
My breath caught.
What?!
"He's inside, honey. Go see him. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." Mrs. Seong quickly added.
Yeah, I don't think so, but sure, I wanted to say but didn't as I wordlessly pushed passed the officers and Mrs. Seong and entered the house.
I have only been here a couple of times, but I knew my way around as I walked up the stairs and entered Chung-Ho's room.
He was wrapped in several blankets and I couldn't see his face because he was turned away from me.
"Chung-Ho?" I asked in a whisper. Maybe he was asleep...
..Or not, as he shot up the bed and looked at me with huge eyes like I was the last person he expected to see.
Or better: with one eye. The other was swollen shut, shimmering in green, blue and dark purple.
My breath caught as I got a look at the rest of him.
His nose was wrapped in a white bandage, his lip broken and still goosing a bit of blood. I saw part of his leg showing between the blankets, and that too was wrapped in bandages.
"What happened?" I whispered, unable to look away from him.
"Get out!"
Now I was even more shocked.
I never heard him sound so afraid, like seeing me was his worst nightmare.
Okay, outch.
"I- is this the reason you broke up with me? Because you were mugged?"
There was no change in his expression, just more fear.
"I said get out of my house."
"Are you okay, oppa?" a little voice suddenly appeared behind me, and I turned to see his little sister Min-Su stand in the door frame.
She was tiny for her age, and her face still that of a toddler, with big blue eyes and her light hair put into two pig-tails.
Chung-Ho, who always smiled, always cracked jokes and used to be a very easy-going type of guy turned to me with he darkest expression I had ever seen on anyone's face.
"Get out of my house, Y/N, right now. I never want to see you again, you understand?"
My confusion was reaching it's peak.
Why did he sound like this was my fault?
Like I had done something?
"Oppa, why are you being mean? Nuna is your girlfriend!" Min-su said in her baby voice, sounding as confused as I felt.
And in the coldest voice I had ever heard him use, he said: "Not anymore."
That was it. I heard enough.
Pushing past Min-Su, I ran out of the house, tears of confusion running down my face.
I hadn't loved Chung-Ho, but I had liked him- and maybe with time, I could have finally developed some feelings.
Mrs. Song was just re-entering the house as I swooshed past. I heard her call my name, but I was already out the door.
*****
I needed Taehyung.
He was always the one who could help me make sense of things and I'd never been as confused as I was now.
The encounter with Chung-Ho kept repeating in my head.
Only two days ago I had lain in bed with Taehyung, imagining all the Zombi-eaten people were Chung-Ho, only to see his messed up face today- too close to reality.
I felt guilty all of a sudden. And just more confused.
A mugging, the police had said.
But what had been done to his face- that looked like someone had a serious anger-management problem. And apparently money problems too.
But why the hell was he angry at me?
It just didn't make sense.
The doorbell rung.
I jumped up, faster than ever and greeted the smiling boy at the front door.
"A couple of hours and you already missed me!" Taehyung teased, and usually I would have laughed and thrown him an insult.
Not today.
I pulled him inside and past my confused parents who were watching TV in the living area.
"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Lee. Bye Mr. and Mrs. Lee" he said in one breath, not resisting my dragging at all.
Finally I got him in my room and banged the door shut.
"Whoa, angry much?" Taehyung asked as he eyed me with a curious but wary expression.
"No, I mean Yes. I mean-whoa I don't know," I let out exasperated, throwing my hands up.
"Okay, okay," Taehyung calmed me, taking both my arms to hold me still as he looked at me.
"Relax. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."
I looked at his large, dark-brown eyes and immediately felt calmer.
Letting out a long breath, I collected myself.
"I lied."
Taehyung's eyes widened. We usually didn't lie to each other, so obviously this was a surprise to him.
"About what?"
I bit my lip, trying to avoid eye contact, but he put a hand under my chin and forced my head up.
He was almost a head taller and for some reason, the way his gaze bore into me made my hands tingle.
"Tell me." he demanded and he sounded so different, I was stunned for a second.
"I-I didn't have dance practice. I- ahm- I went by Chung-Ho's place."
His gaze darkened in a way I had never seen before. His eyes turned almost completely black and something was sparkling in them that I couldn't identify. It was like I was suddenly looking at someone completely different. His mouth was pressed together in a thin line and his grip on my arms tightened, so much, it almost hurt.
I felt a tremor go through him, like he was fighting for control.
Then he let out a single breath and he was my Taehyung again, just like someone flipped a switch.
"And?" he chuckled lightly, his eyes back to a dark brown.
"Don't tell me you punched him? It would look kind of badass but could get you in big trouble. I heard his parents have some political influence or something."
I gaped at his joking expression, like nothing had just happened. But it did, right? And it wasn't nothing.
"Y/N? Hello? You look like you've seen a ghost. Please tell me you didn't kill him?" he let out in mocked horror, a smile playing on his lips.
I finally caught myself again.
I must have been crazy.
This was my best friend we were talking about.
I knew him!
I laughed, which sounded forced but Taehyung didn't comment on it.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened? Because I'm already thinking of ways to bust you out of prison."
I opened my mouth, and I swear, I was going to tell him the truth, like I always had.
But what came out instead was: "He didn't even want to see me, can you believe it? His mother just sent me away again. What an asshole!"
Thank fuck for the drama lessons I took last year. I sounded almost sincerely pissed.
There was no change in his expression this time.
He just chuckled, then pulled me in an embrace.
"Stop thinking about that loser, Y/N."
He pulled away and winked.
"Who needs him, when you got me?"
I almost forgot about his change of attitude.
Almost.
But not quite.