He lays his eyes on me for a second. "He isn't, right?"

I shrug without looking at him, not knowing if I have the right to say that, I wouldn't want him to be seen as someone bad. "He is a little bit but...once I tell him to stop...he stops so it's okay."

He stops the car at another damn red light when we're not far away from the school anymore. However, I can feel his eyes on me. "Drunk or not, a guy shouldn't be tactile with his stepsister."

"I know but he doesn't know what he's doing..." I say without any doubt since I know Minkyu protects me. "The day after he does some things he tells you that, doesn't he?" he understands without me telling him more but I peek up at him. "Yeah...because he knows he wasn't conscious of what he was doing the day before..." some words that I didn't want to say leave me. I can't let so many things go out of my mouth like that, Minkyu is going to be mad and hurt if he knows I talk about it.

"Y/n..." he smiles in a fake manner but puts his eyes back in front of him to go back on the road. "If he wakes up and knows he did something wrong the day before, that just means he was conscious at that moment and knew what he was doing. Don't let him make you believe he didn't know what he was doing."

Maybe he's not wrong but I don't want to believe my stepbrother is someone bad. I don't want to believe he would do something to me with sexual intentions if he's not drunk and out of his mind. He's always here to protect me and take care of me...

"Alright?" he speaks out as he must have seen I felt weird. "I'm not saying this to annoy you or be a jerk but...I just know what it is to be drunk and I know a lot of guys- I mean," he stops himself in the middle of his sentence. "I'm not saying that your stepbro is like that but I know a lot of guys use this excuse to be forgiven. They drink a lot...pretend to be too drunk to realize what they're doing and touch a girl heavily...then force them to have sex and the morning after, they put all the blame on the alcohol."

"He doesn't force me to-" I cut myself off. "Whatever..." I don't say anything more, putting an end to this conversation to not let him know more about this. I should have shut my mouth way earlier. "You can tell me...what you say will stay between us, don't worry."

"I know but I just don't want to talk about it, he cares for me and he sometimes makes mistakes like everyone does...that's all," I keep my eyes on the outside and stay focused there while the things in my head are making me go insane. "I know what it is to be scared to talk about something that-"

"Mino..." I interrupt him and look at him. "I'm alright. Stop worrying...he's not a bad person."

He takes a peek at me as my words were clear enough for him to understand I won't go any further. He already managed to get a lot of information without me realizing so that's enough.

A sigh escapes him but he focuses back on the road. "Alright...I'm just there for you. I don't want to bother you..."

"I know," I press my bag against my chest and just rest my chin on it. I don't even know anymore...I'm just scared but I need to stay quiet, I don't want my stepbrother to be in trouble because I'm too stupid.

•••

7:05 am.

"Here we are...finally," he turns the ignition off and undoes his seat belt like I'm doing. "Do you want to stay in the warmth until the bell rings or...you want to see Jungkook?"

"What is he going to say...or do...?" I gaze at him with apprehension, holding into my bag. "Well...from what I've seen these last days...I think he will cry then...hug you...probably try to kiss you even if it's just on the cheek...I don't know but he misses you a lot and since you couldn't answer his texts, he's only been relieved yesterday with what I told him..."

"Hm..." I avert my eyes from him. "You still love him...don't you...?" he asks in a quiet and calm voice but I nod reluctantly. After this answer, everything turns silent and I just look outside the car. I want to see Jungkook but at the same time, I know he broke up with me and made me feel a bit stupid. This seemed like Jisung's feelings were more important than mine, as if he wasn't enough in love with me to think about how much he meant to me.

Whatever, now that's too late.

"I'm going out..." I peek at him but put my hand on the door, he nods and grabs his keys to get out with me. Once I'm back in the cold that I hate, I put my hood on and follow Mino to the trunk for him to take his bag out. "We're gonna have to go separated ways since I have my classes in the other building," he closes the trunk and towers me with his height. I can't believe that a guy taller than Jungkook is standing right next to me. "Alright."

"You'll be with Jungkook anyway," he puts his bag around his shoulders and gets on our way to the school since he parked his car a bit away from it. I follow him but notice he's checking on me to stay by my side. "If you ever want me to drive you back home today, tell me and I'll do it. Alright?"

"Alright," I say with a smile but starts to feel my heart pounding the more we're approaching the school.

'JUNGKOOK'S P.O.V'

I walk back and forth without ever feeling my heart slowing down as if I was about to see her for the first time after years. I know it's only been three days but I haven't received a single text, I was worried sick for her and couldn't calm down just for one second.

I nibble on my lips but glance up, seeking for y/n or Mino. A fast car passing by in this street gets me to lay my attention over someone screaming. "What the fuck is wrong with you asshole?!"

This is my best friend with y/n, holding her close after the car just rushed past this street. I hold my anguish back but hurry towards them as Mino seems mad about the guy. I walk up to them but see he's checking up on her, as if he had pulled her in to avoid the car.

"Y/n..." my weak voice gets her to turn around but as soon as we make eye contact, I take her in my arms and hold her tight. I missed hugging her, feeling her close, and smelling her fragrance. I try not to cry but press a kiss on her cheek. "I missed you so much..."

She doesn't return the embrace but holds her binder between us. "I'm sorry for acting like a jerk...I was worried for you...I didn't know what I was doing..."

"It's fine..." she gazes into my eyes with a blank expression, not like what I saw when she left me on Monday. "I really need to talk to you..." I gulp down but don't dare to look into her eyes, I just hold her close and don't let go. "About what?" she speaks in my chest. The sound of her voice is chilling. "About...everything..."

"Show her the tattoo you got..." Mino talks to me but I gaze up at him, my arms loosening their embrace to have my features in y/n's sight. "About that...I...I realized when I took my shower this morning that it was just some paint or pen..." I tell him the truth with shame but he rolls his eyes. "Dummy..." his whisper goes out.

I look down at y/n now that he's done talking but get tempted to kiss her lips. I know I told her this was better to stay friends but I can't, I want her as my girlfriend, not something simple. "Can we just skip school today and...stay together...? I absolutely need to talk..."

She thinks about it first, knowing that the director or else is certainly going to call our parents because we're not present. "Alright..." she accepts to my greatest relief. "Let's get somewhere quiet..." I take her hand and leave Mino without saying anything. I bring her to the place I've been going to these last days.

10 minutes later...

I sit down on the bench but make her do the same to be side by side. Even though I know she hates me, I take her hand in mine and look into her eyes. "Why did you ignore my texts and calls...?"

"My stepbrother forced me to..." she answers with no signs of doubt but I brush my thumb over her skin. I gaze at her without really saying a word, feeling my heart beating hard. I try to calm myself down and not let the emotions take over me. "Do you hate me...?"

She shakes her head and looks at me. "I'm sorry for what I did y/n...really...I love you and can't stop thinking about you...I don't know why I was so stupid and...when Mino told me about the fact that you thought I put an end to our relationship because I wasn't in love with you or didn't like your physical appearance...this hurt me so fucking much to think you could believe in such a thing..."

"This just seemed too impossible for me...I couldn't believe you would leave me only because of Jisung...so I thought you lied..." she speaks in a sorrowful manner again, this tone of voice that I hate to hear. "You're pretty baby...I love you sincerely and the single guy who will make you think otherwise is a fucking worthless asshole. Alright...?"

She nods but doesn't tell me anything, remaining quiet which means that she's not feeling good. "Baby..." I get closer to her but don't let go of her hand. "I don't know what you think now but...do you want to stay friends...?"

She shakes her head, telling me that she wants the same than I do. "I can't be friends with you...I know you probably want to make me regret what I did to you but...I want you as my girlfriend..."

"You made me feel like..." she doesn't say the rest of her sentence but glances away. "Like what?" I ask for her to talk but she passes her fingers through her hair. "Forget it..."

"No, tell me," I refuse to let her go away with this and she finally starts to speak again. "You just made me feel like this was a simple relationship with me...as if I was not that important to you or...I don't know...like you took me for granted because you knew I was deeply in love with you..." she answers in a low voice but makes it evident she's scared to say it. "I'm so sorry...I was feeling horrible...I swear if I could go back in time I would never dare do this but keep you with me...I never meant to make you feel that way..."

"I want to ask you something..." she suddenly sets her eyes into mine but worries me. "What...?"

"Mino told me you went out two nights ago and got drunk," she puts this forth when I thought she would not know about this. "Did you do it with another girl? Did you kiss or touch another one...?"

"No baby," I reassure her about this. "I never did anything with another girl, you know I would never do that. I love you and I haven't stopped thinking about you these last days...I swear I didn't cheat on you."

She looks at me without averting her eyes from me but I hold her hand with both of mine. "I swear to god y/n. I will never lie to you."

"I want to trust you..." she brushes her cheek with her fingers but does not seem to want me to be her boyfriend anymore. I should never have hurt her. "But you won't...?"

"I know I will regret it if I don't..." she lowers her chin but I lean in to press a kiss in her cheekbone. "I promise you won't regret this...that was the dumbest mistake I've done so I will not risk to lose you again, I swear."

"I have to tell you something..." her eyes turn glistened in a sudden but provokes a certain anxiousness inside of me. "What is it...?"

"I didn't want this to happen but..." she avoids my eyes and starts to sob while I'm panicking on my spot. "My stepbrother...he drank a bit too much last night and...can you promise me you won't say anything to anyone?" she raises her eyes up to mine but makes me fear the worst. "I won't say anything y/n...I promise you."

She wipes her tears away but looks down at the floor. "He kissed me...but I didn't want to..." she doesn't dare to gaze at me as if she was ashamed of this but I stroke the back of her hand. "Why did he do that...? What's the relationship you have with him...?"

"I don't know...he said some things and already tried to do some things with me when he was drunk...Mino told me this was wrong but...I don't know...I'm scared and I feel ashamed..." her voice trembles but I try to comfort her and not worsen her state. I knew this guy was an asshole, I understood right when I saw him. "Don't be afraid to tell me, alright? I'm not mad at you...that's why I always tried to know if he was hurting you or doing inappropriate things..."

"I'm sorry for lying to you..." she apologizes when she doesn't have to do it. "No baby...don't say sorry..." I move forth and take her in my arms to kiss her temple. "I understand why you did it...it's fine..."

"He just tried to do it with me once when he was drunk...that's what caused the bruise I had on my inner thigh because I moved away...then he apologized...but he tried again last night and stopped once I told him to...but I-I don't want him to be someone bad...he cares for me..." she explains to me, to my greatest relief. At least I know what happens with him and if I ever see him just one more time in my life, I'll beat him up for doing such things to her. "I'm sorry for not seeing it...I should have known when I was at your house..."

She passes her fingers over her wet cheeks but I kiss one of them while holding her close. "Does that mean he kissed you before I did it? When we were already together...?"

She shakes her head without realizing how good this is to get this answer for me. "No...he tried to but I pushed him away...then he touched me but...he said the day after that he didn't know what he was doing and that he was feeling horrible...so I didn't want to make him feel bad and I told him it was fine..."

"Is it something you cannot stop thinking about...?" I ask to know whether this was something that affected her severely. "No...I'm okay...I just thought you would be mad because I lied to you and that he kissed me yesterday..."

"I would never be mad at you for something like that," I caress her cheek and erase the tears from it. "The only one I'm mad at right now is myself and that piece of shit. I love you, my baby, don't be worried," I peck her forehead. "If there's anything you want to talk about that worries you, tell me about it...alright?"

"I'm fine...I was just worried about this..." she sniffles but I brush the last tears away to not see them on her face anymore. "Do you want to go to my house?"

"Yes...I'm tired..." she nods. I would like to talk more about her stepbrother to know exactly what he does to her but I think she needs time.

•••

8:40 am.

"You can get in my bedroom, I'm going to look for something to drink," I let her go first and she does it while I'm heading to the kitchen. I ruffle my hair getting long and annoying but open the door of the kitchen, to let it close behind me and move towards the fridge. I still have some banana milk here so since she likes drinking that, I grab two of them with a strawberry one, to then get back on my steps and follow the path y/n took upstairs.

I walk up to it and open the door once I reach it, landing my eyes on y/n sitting on my bed. I close the door behind us and drop my bag on the floor to join her on the blanket. I hand her a drink and she takes it, leaving her phone next to her to sip on the banana milk. I do the same and go a bit higher on the mattress to cross my legs and see y/n coming closer.

"You said you were tired...didn't you sleep well?" I initiate a conversation to not remain in an awkward silence and she removes the straw from her lips. "Not really...and I woke up quite early."

"Oh alright..." I gulp some of the drink down but keep my eyes on her. "Do you want to rest a little?" I suggest her to do while pointing at my pillows uncontrollably. "My mom doesn't come home before eight o'clock."

She nods to me without answering anything but slides on the blanket to get right by my side, before suddenly climbing on me and surprising me with a warm hug.

I return this embrace without really thinking about it but once I feel her staying in this position to hold me, I let the calm soothe us and smile. She doesn't know how much I missed this closeness with her. "Baby..." I whisper and close my eyes, embracing her with fondness as if this was the last time. Since she's not letting go, I put my drink down on my nightstand and lie down with her. As soon as she feels me moving, she slightly retreats but only to put her banana milk next to mine.

We both get into eye contact before she could lie down again but I place my hands on her sides to cup her waist. This moment lingers for no reason known but I smile at her, brushing my thumbs over her fabrics. She leans in and offers me a kiss, to then put her arms around me again and nestle her head in the crook of my neck.