─────── 𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐏 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑    𝟑𝟒 ───────

[12 | 04 | 23 , 12:30pm]

"Have any of you guys seen Jungwon?" Yeram asked, walking into the common room.

Heeseung, Jake and Sunghoon, who were all sitting on one table, looked up.

Jake shook his head, "No, I don't think he's in school today."

"Why?" Heeseung asked.

A frown appeared on Yeram's face as she approached them and pulled out a chair to sit on. "I've been trying his phone for the past two hours and nothing... I mean yeah it would make sense if he was in classes and had his phone turned off but you said he's not even in."

Sunghoon thought for a second, "That's not like him."

"That's what I'm saying," Yeram sighed in frustration.

Heeseung shrugged, "It's not like him to do stupid things either. He'll be fine."

The other two boys hummed their approval.

"Just don't worry about it too much," Sunghoon put a hand on her shoulder.

Yeram nodded, "Yeah."

She wanted to believe that everything was going to be fine, but something deep inside her said otherwise.

[2:34pm]

Heeseung was already on his way back home, since the last period for him today was a free one. Stepping onto the unfamiliar street of his new residency, his eyes landed on his mom's house. Of course, Mrs. Lee owned this house for years but never had the chance to properly live there since Heeseung's father was adamant they stayed at his mansion.

Heeseung rang the doorbell, patiently waiting for someone to open the door. He didn't have the house keys yet, so couldn't walk in any time.

His mother, looking more doll-faced than ever, swung the door open- welcoming her son with open arms. Now, Lee Heeseung wasn't one for physical touching or anything of the sort but something in him just couldn't resist.

He took two steps forwards, walking into his mom's arms and soon becoming engulfed in them.

"How was school dear?" his mother asked, resting her chin on his head.

"Good," he replied.

"Good?"

"Mom," Heeseung pulled away, pulling a face. "It was good, ok?"

Mrs. Lee chuckled, patting her son's head. "I know Heeseung-ah, just messing with you. Now hurry up and come in, I made you my special ramyeon today."

Heeseung's face lit up upon hearing that his favorite food was waiting for him in the kitchen and walked inside, closing the front door behind him. "Is Heedo hyung home?"

"No," his mom raised her voice, now having walked into the dining room. "He's out with his girlfriend I think he said."

Heeseung shook his head in disbelief, "How gross."

Mrs. Lee's head popped out of the doorway in front of him, "Not gross, Heeseung. It's love- and speaking of-"

"No mom!" Heeseung suddenly interrupted her. "I don't have a girlfriend!" he called out from the stairs he was already halfway up. He walked into his room, shutting the door behind him and throwing his bag to the side. He grabbed some clean clothes as well as taking out his phone from the jeans he was wearing and throwing it down on his bed. "Not planning on getting one any time soon either," he muttered to himself before walking into his bathroom.

Now, you must be wondering, where's Heeseung's father in all of this?

Well... he's in Pendulin... Prison, temporarily confined there for domestic abuse.

It was mid last month, where Heeseung had walked back into his house after school and chaos awaited him.

His father was at it again, shouting and screaming. This time, it was really bad. The worst it had ever been.

Mrs. Lee was a massive cut on her cheek, from having a glass vase thrown at her- the scar remains to this day.

Heeseung watched the whole scene unfold, his dad grabbing a wooden candle-stick and lunging forwards. Towards his mother.

Heeseung felt as though he couldn't watch anymore, and doing what he thought was right, he grabbed the umbrella that was sitting on the side of the hallway.

He marched up to his father, swinging the umbrella forwards and knocking his dad down to the floor.

Mr. Lee squirmed around on the ground, struggling, as Mrs. Lee took the chance to rush to her son.

She grabbed his face, continuously asking 'are you ok?'.

Seconds later, Mr. Lee was back on his feet- angrier than ever.

The man lunged towards his family, arms swinging around everywhere but before he could land a blow, Heeseung grabbed the umbrella again. He kept on hitting his father everywhere- on the face, chest, head, legs.

And he only stopped when bloody Mr. Lee fell to the ground, groaning and unable to get up in pain.

After that, Mrs. Lee called the police on her husband and they were able to arrest him due to the many witness statements given to them from the workers in the house.

A couple of days later, Mrs. Lee was able to get formal divorce papers and a restriction order. Her and her sons soon moved out of their old house, relocating to her childhood home.

[5:14pm]

Nishimura Riki was sitting in his brother's convenience store, lazily scrolling through his phone.

Hesitant to open a message he just received, Riki looked around to see if the path was clear.

look who i have held hostage riki
you missed out on a lot
if you want your friend back, come get him-
or he gets it🔪

Riki slammed his phone down on the table, when the bells of the shop chimed; letting him know that someone has entered.

He turned back, watching a man walk in and head inside the aisles.

Sighing in relief, Riki picked up his phone again.

The attachment was open to show a picture of a closed-eyed Jungwon, bound in rope- tied to a chair in the middle of a dark, dirty room.

"Fuck," Riki cursed under his breath, immediately getting up.

[5:17pm]

Yeram decided to visit Ahyeun today, making sure to buy her flowers and her favorite chocolate before doing so.

"How is she doing?" Yeram asked Geon, who only looked disappointed.

"Not any better than before. She barely comes out to eat anymore."

Yeram gulped, blinking back her tears. "I'll try my best to make her feel better."

Geon nodded, leading her to Ahyeun's room. Yeram waited for her to leave, before knocking on the door. "Ahyeun? It's me, Yeram."

A minute passed, before a quiet voice within replied, "Yeram- what are you doing here?"

"I've come to see you, I've bought roses and Ferrero Rocher."

Yeram looked cheerful, hoping Ahyeun would let her in. But that feeling soon came crashing down.

"Can you just leave them outside?"

This was going to be easier said than done.

"Why can't I come in?"

"I look a state- I don't want you to see me."

"Is it ok if we talk like this then?"

Ahyeun paused for a long time before asking, "Is anyone around?"

Yeram looked in both directions. "No."

"Fine. What do you want to say?"

"I miss you."

"Hm," was Ahyeun's reply.

Yeram kept on trying, "The rest do too."

She continued, "A lot, we miss you a lot Ahyeun. You're missing out on a lot too."

"I've been keeping up with the gossip, don't worry Yeram," Ahyeun sort of chuckled from inside.

Yeram smiled, "Oh yeah? Shen Xiaoting?"

"You know it."

The two girls giggled from either side of the wall separating them.

"When are you coming back?" Yeram seriously asked after all went quiet.

Ahyeun, who was sitting on the other side of the door with her head resting on the dark wood, went quiet.

She hesitated, "I-I don't know Yeram."

"I'm not rushing you," Yeram said. "Just you have to come back sooner or later."

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"It-it's too embarrassing. And I'm scared."

Yeram scoffed, "Of what? What people think?"

"Y-yeah," Ahyeun croaked.

"Well, you know what I say. Fuck what they think. You can't change because they might not like you anymore or they'll give you dirty looks in the hallways when you walk past. You can't change because that is only temporary, they will all forget. It will die down and they'll find something else to cackle and mumble about. People are fucking horrible Ahyeun but if you let them effect you- that makes you the weak one. Don't give them what they want."

Aheyun gulped, getting up. She twisted open her door, facing a shocked looked Yeram. "Do you ever think this is our karma Yeram?"

"Huh?" Yeram frowned.

"For what we did to Yesol? Do you think the universe is giving us karma for the horrible stuff we did to her and the others?"

Yeram stuttered, before looking down at the ground. "I-I don't know."

"I think it is," Ahyeun answered for her, with a half emptied smile. She took the flowers and chocolate box from Yeram's hands, "And to be honest we completely deserve it."

And with that, the door was shut on Yeram's face again.

———

before yall get confused, the tape with ahyeun and doyoung was leaked to the school and thats why she's 'embarrassed' and 'scared' of what others will think (don't think i mentioned this in the other chapter to do with this)

also only 2-3 chapters left😀