"i'm home," eunha said in a slightly shouting manner, entering her house after hanging out with jaemin at the cafe.
she made her way straight to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, aware of her father's presence in the living room.
"what were you thinking?" her father asked as he entered the kitchen, whispering but with anger audible in his tone.
"what do you mean?" asked eunha, turning around to face her father who were already staring hard at her.
"why are you home late? were you out with a guy again?" his tone only became more and more harsh with each word he said.
"but it's only 8 o'clock." eunha muttered lowly, she wasn't sure herself if she wanted him to hear it.
"i don't care!" her father hissed, "i'll deal with you later in your room."
eunha heaved a deep sigh as she looks at her father walking into the living room.
taking a gulp of her water, she then made her way out of the kitchen, aiming straight to her room. just then, her father greeted eunha once again. but this time, he didn't sound harsh. instead, he sounded like a loving father - or at least that was what eunha thought.
"oh eunha!" he greeted, "sit here for awhile. i want you to meet someone,"
eunha stopped in her tracks to turn towards her father and noticed a woman, dressed in a black fancy-looking dress, around the same age as him sitting just next to him.
"this is seo eunha, my one and only daughter." he introduced eunha to the woman and eunha lightly bowed in response, "eunha, this is my business partner,"
"nice to meet you, eunha. i've heard a lot about you," the woman said as she made her way to eunha, offering a handshake.
eunha avoided her handshake like it was part of her reflex action. she had never liked the idea of her father bringing home a woman, whether she was his business partner or anyone at all.
"be polite, eunha. i'll be marrying her someday," her father smirked from his seat, but his glare was sending shivers over eunha's body.
"nice to meet you," eunha said quickly before rushing herself into her room.
locking her bedroom door behind her, she made her way straight to her bed. burying her head on her pillow, soft sobs were then heard in the room.
"mom, i'm sorry," eunha mumbled in between her sobs.
she then hurriedly made her way to a small cupboard right next to her bed. her hands busy taking all the bottles of antidepressant pills there were.
eunha hastily poured out a few pills onto her hand as she then walked back to get her glass of water.
eunha, stop.
"huh?" she questioned herself.
put the pills down. let's go take a walk, okay?
"who are you? you haven't been speaking up in awhile. why now?" eunha said, panicking with her hands full of pills shaking, enough for the pills to fall off her palm.
let's take a walk, okay? you're not alone.
eunha then unconsciously put down the pills in her palm, as if she was a robot, controlled by someone in her head. it was none other than rosé, that was taking over her.
you're safe, eunha.
that was all that the voice said before eunha changed herself into a turtleneck. she made her way out and managed to leave the house without her father noticing. he was in his room, along with his business partner he claimed earlier. now she's back outside in the dark night, alone with no one else but the voices in her head.
"eunha?" called a voice from behind her just after she walked a few steps in the street.
she turned around to see a familiar figure, "renjun?"
"what are you doing alone at this hour?" asked renjun, jogging his way to eunha who were a few steps ahead of him.
"i just wanted to get some fresh air," eunha replied, "what about you? why are you out at this time?"
"i uh- i'm on my way home from my friend's." renjun replied, though hesitant, "it's late. i'll accompany you, it's not safe for you to be out alone this late,"
"it's alright," she replied, wanting to add that she's not alone but didn't want to freak renjun out.
"let's go." renjun insisted, earning a confused look from the girl, "let's go get some fresh air,"
the pair walked side by side in silence. both seemed calm, but their heads were a mess.
"do you have any place you're heading for in particular?" asked renjun after walking for a few minutes.
eunha shook her head in response, "i just want to clear my head from some messy thoughts,"
"i have a place, follow me." the male said enthusiastically as he turns to the right near a junction.
eunha followed renjun just a few steps behind him.
the path they were walking on were well lit by the streetlights. so eunha wasn't scared of the walk.
"we're here," renjun said as he entered a gate and proceeded to sit on a bench under a wooden shelter, in front of a tiny lake.
"what is this place?" asked eunha, curious of the gated area she was in.
it was a small area, small enough that she can see the end of the area from the entrance.
"it's a tiny park!" renjun replied, tapping the empty seat next to him as a gesture to invite eunha, "it was initially empty with just this tiny lake here. i built this shelter few years back."
"is this your usual hangout area?" asked eunha as she sat next to renjun.
"used to." he replied, "i haven't been here that much lately,"
"it's really calming here," she said, inhaling a deep breath.
"i hear that a lot," renjun chuckled, "are you ready to see something?"
"see what?"
just then, renjun walked away a few steps and clicked on a switch and golden lights were lit up around the wooden shelter they were resting at. the lights made the shelter more breathtaking than it already was.
"it's gorgeous," eunha gasped, standing up as she hugs herself from the chilly night air, taking a look around the breathtakingly well lit shelter, "how did you do all of this yourself?"
"i actually did it for someone. the things we do for other people are sometimes amazing, right?" he chuckled emptily.
"really? that someone must've been very grateful for all of this," eunha chuckled.
"are you feeling better?" asked renjun after a few minutes.
eunha hummed, "thank you, renjun. i'm glad i bumped into you,"
renjun curved a smile as he then focused on the view before him. he took off the scarf that was wrapped around his neck and passed it over to the girl next to him.
"renjun," called eunha. her eyes were fixed on renjun's neck.
even after he responded with a hum, her eyes didn't leave the bruises she can clearly see on his neck.
and that was when eunha was reminded of her conversation with weiyun earlier today.
"what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" asked eunha as she walked next to weiyun.
"i'm working on something right now. so i have something to ask you," weiyun stated. after looking around for a few seconds, she then spilled her question, "have haerin and her clique ever hurt you? in any way possible."
"what?" eunha asked, astonished by her sudden question.
"it's okay. i won't share the details to anyone else. i just need to know if you're one of her victims as well." weiyun insisted.
"how many victims are there? why are you the one doing this instead of the teachers?" eunha bombarded weiyun with questions.
"ms. kim is helping me out, too. don't worry, i wouldn't do this alone. i just want to know if she did anything to you like she did to ren-" weiyun stopped, a shocked expression visible on her face, "sorry, forget what i said. have she ever harmed you?"
"no she's never harmed me," eunha replied.
"if she ever hurts you, tell me, okay? also, never be alone no matter where you are. the power she holds are beyond what you can imagine. don't underestimate her," weiyun warned right before jaemin came to join the two.
"hey," jaemin greeted and soon weiyun bid goodbye to both of them.
"so haerin really did harm you, renjun?" eunha asked, taking a closer look at the bruises that still seemed fresh.
conscious of what eunha was staring at, he cleared his throat and covered the bruises with his hand.
"you don't have to hide it from me. i saw it already," eunha said.
renjun then put down his hand, letting the bruises on his neck be visible to her.
"what happened?" asked eunha, eyes now shifting to pay attention to renjun.
"i know haerin well enough that i saw this coming. she hates to see us dreamies back together. she followed me while i was alone the other day and choked me as a way to threaten me." he explained.
"but why does she hate the dreamies that much?" she asked.
with a sigh, renjun replied, "dreamies only existed because of jinhye-noona. and noona is her biggest enemy ever."
"what is it about haerin that makes her so powerful? why is she still in school when she did all this nasty things?" she complained.
it was the questions renjun didn't have an answer to. he didn't know much about haerin's family except for her father's profession.
but just like renjun, all the other victims refused to speak up of the abuse.