"Who is it?" I cannot hold back from trying to know, but he raises his head up and peeks at me. "Y/n."

"Oh," I smile, loving how much he seems to enjoy talking to her. Since they both started skating, they grew close, and that makes me happy. "She was embarrassed about this morning's call with you," he giggles in a quiet manner, making me laugh as well. "You really like to annoy her, don't you?"

"I'm just teasing her because it's easy to get a reaction from her," he acts like he always does with a girl he is close to, making it hard for me to be astonished by this behavior. I know he will not go too far, I trust him on that, so I do not have to tell him to be careful anymore. "Does she know we're going to dine with her mother?"

"Yes, I told her, but she said she was surprised because she thought she would be with another man for the weekend," he exposes, but I look into the rear-view mirror to go backwards and leave the driveway. "Does that mean she invites a lot of men to her house?" I sneer, turning the steering wheel to get on the road. "It seems like it."

"Well, that's interesting," I do not know what to say, feeling like the relationship between this mother and daughter is far from being goals. "Yeah, that's why I'm on y/n's side and will not defend this woman."

"Let's not start an argument about this again," I cut him short to not have to deal with another 'right and wrong' fight. "Yeah..."

50 minutes later...

'YOUR P.O.V'

< can I join you, please? I can't stand your mom anymore ]

[ too bad, but no:) >

< are you having a good time with this man? Cuz I'm dying in your house rn;-; ]

[ why lmao? What is she saying or doing? >

< she's flirting with my dad and I can't stand it. She's fucking ridiculous ]

[ she's flirting with him? Well, she flirts with every man she meets and who has a lot of money, I told you, your dad shouldn't fall for it >

< alright so basically, she's a hoe. Is that it? ]

[ this did not come from me:) >

< she better not try to play with my dad or I'll kill her:) ]

[ I'm not involved, so I don't care >

< sure, innocent person ]

[ I gotta go now >

< why? Don't leave me please! ]

[ don't you have other friends? You know the one to who you asked for a blowjob last night? >

< you- ]

< I didn't ask him for a blowjob, little freaking shit! We were just talking about some stuff! ]

[ sure:) >

< yes sure, who the fuck asks for a blowjob like that? ]

[ well, idk, what if you were arguing and you said 'if I do this for you, you give me a blowjob' like a sort of deal yk >

< sounds like you went through that many times ]

[ not as much as you did apparently >

< I never sucked dick ]

[ you still have time to experience it. You won't regret it:) >

< I see, you love sucking dick, noted c: ]

[ that's not what I meant! And wtf you mean "noted"?! >

< nothing. It's noted, for future c: ]

[ I hate you >

< good bcs I hate you too<3 ]

[ good. >

"Y/n?" Moosaeng sits down next to me on the sofa, holding his glass of wine, so I raise my head up and lock my phone. "Yes?"

"Would you like to dine here again tomorrow?" he asks me, making me feel bad for what I am about to say. "Oh, a friend already invited me, so I can't, I'm sorry."

"No, don't say sorry," he shakes his head and smiles at me, lowering his balloon glass to his lap. "As long as I know you're eating well and not starving because of Harin, I'm happy. Don't worry about it."

My feelings soften at the sound of his reassuring words full of care, and he returns the same emotions with his brown eyes. "She hasn't hurt you recently, did she? Because I want you to tell me about it and not keep quiet."

"She didn't, I promise," I do not tell him a lie, knowing I do not have to. "If she ever lays a hand on you again, I won't be able to hold back from calling the cops this time, y/n."

"It's only going to make it worse because the cops won't do anything about it, and if she knows that I made someone call the cops on her, she's going to make my life even more of a living hell," I do not agree with him, knowing her more than he does. "I'll protect you. You could live here, I'll give you everything you need and want, I'll take care of you..."

"You have to take care of your two little girls, don't worry about me. I'm twenty-one anyway," I do not let him feel pity for me, but he refuses to believe it. "But you mean as much as they do to me. As you say, you're twenty-one, but she takes your money, doesn't allow you to eat, physically hurts you, so you're not safe or in control of your life at all. This is abuse..."

"I don't want you to worry about it, Moosaeng. Really..." I try my best to put his mind at rest, but he sighs and glances away. "How can I? What if she pushes you down the stairs again and that you never recover?"

"I won't let it happen because I know what she's capable of now," I ignore the text that I just received to not be rude, and I gaze at him. "Okay? Stop worrying. I'll tell you if something wrong is happening anyway. You know it."

"Yeah..." he does not get reassured, so I wrap my arms around him and give him a hug. "I'll be okay."

He lifts one arm up to put it around my neck and hold me. "I hope..." he drops a kiss on the crown of my head. "By the way, who's the friend you're gonna eat with tomorrow?"

"Mister Jeon's son, Joonha. I already talked about him, right?" I move back to look at him, but he frowns. "The one with the puppy?"

"Yes," I nod, glad to know he remembers what I tell him. "He lives alone with his dad, but they're both so kind. I like being with them."

"That's great, I'm happy for you," he runs his fingers through my hair and expresses some delight. He is one of the best people I have met in my life, with no doubt.

•••

9:20 pm.

< when are you coming back? I'm still stuck in your mom😭 ]

< WTF I MEANT WITH** ]

< dude I fucking hate my keyboard ]

< don't you fucking dare say anything about this or I fuckign kill you ]

I laugh in front of my screen, seeing and feeling the anxiety through it.

[ alright, I won't say anything:)He's driving me home rn so I'll be there in a few minutes, don't worry, I'm coming to save you >

< first time I'm happy to hear that ]

[ I can stay in the car with him and let you struggle in her:) >

< fuck you:) I fucking hate you ]

< but come please... ]

[ that's what I thought. I'm coming >

< as fast as you can please ]

[ I'm not gonna tell him to risk to kill us in a car accident or get a speeding ticket just because you're living for a few hours what I have to live everyday >

< It's torture, now I get why you're so crazy;-; ]

[ thanks for understanding, finally, so have some mercy from now on >

< I will, a little ]

[ good, I'll be here in around 10min >

< 10min?! That's way too long ]

[ stop being so whiny >

< I'm not whiny, I'm dying ]

[ okay, little baby >

< don't call me baby, I'm a daddy' - ' ]

[ see you:D >

5 minutes later...

< faster please😫 ]

[ it's been 5min, look at the time! >

< i did and I'm about to throw a glass at her face. She's being all "hahaha Ikr? You're so sweet, Jungkook. You must make an amazing husband hahaha" and touching my dad nonstop I can't anymore ]

[ interrupt her when she's talking, that's what she hates the most so she's gonna go berserk lmao >

< alright I'm gonna do this ]

< what if I tell him you wanna talk and call?:> ]

[ find another idea. I'm begging >

< you'll beg me for something else one day:) ]

[ you seem obsessed I swear >

< I don't seem I am... ]

[ yeah, I guessed so, but fyi, you're begging me to come back rn so... >

< I'm not begging, I'm ordering you bcs you know ill take revenge if you don't show up in 5min ]

I scroll back up the conversation to find the text he sent me by accident, and I take a screenshot to then go back to where we are.

[ threaten me again and ill use the blowjob text >

< I should have deleted the text I'm fucking dumb ]

[ yes you are >

< omg your mom just bent over in front of my dad and pretended she was grabbing something ]

< I'm begging you now, fucking come pls ]

[ 3min >

< :c ]

I leave the conversation but decide to text Mister Jeon. I am always afraid to do it, but it seems necessary given the way she is acting with him. She is being disgusting again.

[ Good evening, Mister Jeon. Is everything alright at my house? Your son told me that my mom is doing some stuff that might make you uncomfortable >

I do not expect an answer from him so quickly, so I look up at the road and wait for someone to text me while listening to the music that is playing in the car. Moosaeng made a playlist with all my favorite songs, so every ride with him is even more enjoyable because I know I am going to love all the songs that we hear.

"Here we are," he parks in front of the house, turning the front beams out. "Thank you for the ride," I smile at him and unbuckle my seatbelt, and he lowers the volume of the radio. "No need to, make sure to call me if you need or want to talk. I'm always here for you."

"I am too, I hope the time will go by much faster so that you can see your daughters," I mean my words, aware of the fact that his sister is the one taking care of them this weekend. His features express some sadness, but he conceals it with a curve of his lips. "I hope too. Rest a lot."

"Rest a lot too, goodnight," I wish him the same and grab my bag to get out of the car, I give him one last look and close the door to walk up to my house, but once I face the front door, I wave at him. He does it too and starts the engine anew to leave, so when he is out of sight, I look for the key in my bag but hear my phone ring.

< Good evening, y/n. Everything's going well, don't worry about anything. Joonha is just a little tired and wants to go home ]

I do not answer him but unlock the door and enter the house. My eyes instantly land on Joonha who is sitting at the table, but once he catches sight of me, he gasps and stands up. "Y/n!" he walks up to me as I took my shoes and jacket off. "Let's get in your bedroom, please," he whispers, biting his lips and looking desperate.

I laugh at him but agree to this. "You can go in it, I'll join you in a few minutes," I leave my bag on the sofa, and he runs upstairs to not have to see or hear my stepmother anymore, and I head to the kitchen but get closer to Mister Jeon and her.

"Hey," he greets me with his comforting smile, and I give the same one back. "Hey, Mister Jeon," I bow to him but get to the fridge to grab some grape juice. "How was dinner over there? Did you enjoy it?" he asks right in front of Harin, making me awkwardly panic. She was not supposed to know that I ate at his house. "You dined with him?" she does not keep quiet, sounding mad but keeping her control because Mister Jeon is here.

"I didn't eat..." I leave before she could ask me more questions, and I hurry to run up the stairs and get into my bedroom, where Joonha is. He whirls around as if I had caught him looking through my stuff on the desk, so I close the door behind me. "Did you tell your dad I was dining with my boss?"

"I...Yes and no. He's the one who asked me if I knew you were with your boss, so I said that I only knew you were dining with a man, nothing else. Why? Harin is the one who told him about the boss," he explains to me and tells me the truth for sure, so I believe him. "Your dad just asked me how was dinner with him! She's gonna kill me."

"What do you mean? She knew already," he does not understand. "She didn't know that I was eating over there," I sit down on my bed to drink, but he frowns at me, seeming confused. "And what's the problem about that?"

I swallow the juice and decide to not keep it to myself anymore. "Promise you won't say anything to your dad."

"Hmm, alright. I won't," he shows me I can trust him, so I quieten my voice. "Well, if the only thing I can eat here is soup because she wants me to lose weight, and I do not have a choice but to starve, so now that she knows I ate at his house, I'm going to die."

"What the— Girl, and you want me to not say anything to my dad? Are you crazy?" he breaks the promise after giving me his word. "Of course yes! You promised you wouldn't just a second ago."

"This bitch is fucking starving you, I'm gonna tell—"

"No," I stand up and catch his arm to stop him, not letting him go away. "You're not telling your dad. If you tell him, we'll never talk again."

"So you want me to let this bitch kill you" he emphasizes the problem. "Stop exaggerating," I roll my eyes and go back on my bed. "Exaggerating? Are you serious? It sounds like you're gonna end in a true-crime documentary after your psychopath mom killed you. I don't want this to happen otherwise I'll have this on my mind for the rest of my life."

"Hey, calm down. I've been living with her for two years, and I'm still alive," I toy with the top of my bottle, but he stares at me, not getting any good reason to stay quiet. "For now."

"Whatever," I leave the bed and head towards my desk. "I have something to show you," I open my drawing book and get the transfer paper, on which I drew his tattoo, out of it, and I place it on the flat surface. "What do you think about it?"

"Holy fuck..." he gapes at it, seeming pleased by the design. He sits down on my gaming chair and takes a closer look at it. "You did this in two days only? This is damn good. I love it."

I smile at his reaction, relieved and happy to see that he seems even more satisfied with the finish than I expected him to be. "You think so?"

"Yeah, this is so much better than what I imagined," he beams and keeps his eyes on it, checking every detail of it. "This is on transfer paper, so if you want, I can put it on your skin and give you an idea of how this will look like once you get the tattoo."

"You can do that?" he shows some excitement, and I nod. "Okay," he stands up, and without even waiting, takes his hoodie off but reveals some abs I did not expect to see on him. "I'm ready," he walks up to the bed and drops the clothing on it, so I take the two pieces of paper, the spray I need to use, and some lotion made for the tattoo to leave the ink on his skin, and I move towards him.

"Alright," I stand before him and place the stuff on the blanket on my right, feeling a bit shy in front of his shirtless, fit body. "Where do you want it to start?" I gaze up into his blue eyes, and he lifts his hand up to his chest. "Here, and it should end on my lower abdomen, right?"

"It will end lower than that," I tell him, but he does not seem bothered by it. "Perfect this will be even better."

"Okay, I'm trying to do my best to not mess it up," I grab the spray bottle and apply some of the product on his skin, then head to my closet to get a towel. I walk back to him and wipe his torso, then take hold of the lotion. "Do you want to spread it yourself?" I hand him the bottle, making sure he is comfortable with me doing this step. "No, do it," he licks his lips, passing his tongue over his lip ring. He knows how it makes me feel, so I pretend not to be affected by the situation and get some of the product on my fingers, leave the bottle on the bed, and rub the lotion over his chest and abs.

"Could you start with the bottom of the tattoo so that I'm sure it goes at my v-line," he asks me while I am trying to focus. "Sure," I drift my fingers down to his abdomen to spread the lotion over the left side of it as I did higher. "Where do you want it to end exactly?"

"It's very low, so before I pull my pants and underwear down, tell me if you're not comfortable with it," he causes even more heat to my body, but I shrug, playing it cool. "I'm fine with it, but like, are you gonna pull it all the way down to your feet?" I peek up at him, not moving my hand anymore. "You think I'm gonna get naked? I'm just pulling a part of it down, pervert," he misunderstands, making me gasps as I put more product on my hand. "That's not what I meant! I didn't want you to get naked!"

"Sure, tell me more lies, please," he gazes down at his pants and starts to undo his belt, so I drop the bottle next to us again but make one paper fly away. "Don't move," I tell him and go down to grab the fragile drawing, but the door gets opened. "Y/n—"

My eyes dart in the direction of it, behind me at some feet away but fall upon Harin, gawking at us.