thump. thump. thump.
one after another, each beat like the sound of tap dancing on a hard floor flowing with the melody in music.
jiyoung's heart sped up seeing her father, or at least the man she had always called father.
her words got caught in her throat, itching for a way to get out yet nothing could be said, a pulsing feeling of discomfort surging on the right side of her head.
"s-sorry?" she managed out, the sound of thumping coming from inside of her body- getting louder and louder the longer she stood there.
"i know you've been sneaking out at night," he started.
the pulsing stops. everything stops. it's like they're frozen at the moment, jiyoung's heart telling her something bad is about to happen if she doesn't do anything.
"it's not safe, jiyoung. you should be staying inside or you might get hurt. troublesome people come out in the night and i don't want you getting hurt making contact with them. you know?"
"i understand."
she understood that he didn't want her going out. what she didn't understand was why. they both knew that the republic was safer than yi and he didn't mind when she went out at night there.
there was something in the republic he didn't want her to see or find. which is probably why she had to wear contacts too. but, what was it he didn't want her to find?
as of right now, she didn't know.
"you need to go back to your room. i know it's been a bit stressful and all coming to the republic from our old home but i can tell your grades are getting even higher than they were back in yi. it's good for you to attend school here but maybe if it isn't the right call we can move back home. think it over for me while you go shower, i know it makes you feel better letting off steam."
that was one thing he wasn't wrong about.
she nodded slowly, the thumping feeling coming back and surging through her entire body now. "i'll do so. thank you, father."
she turned away, leaving hyunjoon there to ponder over what she had been planning to do or where she wanted to go.
there were only a few people in the republic he didn't want her around and those were the very people she called best friends.
but of course, he didn't know that.
steam came out of the bathroom when the door opened, jiyoung stepping out with dampened hair and a new set of clothing on.
she put away her dirty laundry and turned on her fan, making the air in the room even colder than it had been before so.
the sight of her phone glowing on top of her bed made her heart leap, the same name on it that she managed to speak to every time she had a bad dream.
"you called?" jaemin's voice asked on the other end.
jiyoung sighed as she made herself comfortable in the large bed, "i did. what are you doing?"
"just playing some games with donghyuck. he's beating my ass though so it's not as fun as usual."
"did i interrupt?"
"no, you're fine. did you need something?"
"just had another nightmare and couldn't go out to accidentally run into you at the store so the second best thing was call."
jaemin laughed on the other side of the call, now realizing the two did manage to run into each other in the late-night quite often. "wanna tell me about the dream?"
she sighed, hugging the pillow tighter. "no, i don't really wanna think about it. i like just listening to you talk more."
"oh, okay, if you say so. wanna hear about my day?"
"yes, please."
the sound of his water bottle getting picked up and squished in his hand echoed through the phone as he took a drink, preparing to tell jiyoung about his day.
she waited and listened to jaemin talking as he told her what happened to him from the moment he woke up until small ants of darkness began clouding her eyelids and pulled her into a deep slumber.