WORDS. |Kim Seungmin

Thirty Nine.

Intimidated.

That was what the four friends felt while sitting opposite to the girl, Sky, especially Felix. Her eyes were as Seungmin described. Different, scary, and intimidating, just like all the eyes that were painted on the canvases surrounding them in her studio. Seungmin guessed that the girl found a new item to be obsessed with. Eyes, it seemed to be.

"So," She started talking, looking at them one by one. Her eyes remained on Felix more than they did with the other three. Although the boy was hiding behind his dark sunglasses, he felt exposed under her gaze that he had to shove his face away. The girl returned her eyes to meet Seungmin's waiting ones. "I already heard that you are visiting people from our school for days now. It's quite impressive that you remembered the ones you fucked their lives." She attacked, leaning back in her chair.

She was nothing like the other victims they met. She was much stronger, tougher, going straight with her words. She didn't seem to be affected by what happened in the past but she was scolding him anyways as if she was an older sister.

"I never forgot one of you." He replied looking down at his hands that were shaking nervously. "Your names kept imprinted inside of m-"

Seungmin was cut off when Sky suddenly leaned closer over the table separating them, reached her hand out to his face, and grabbed his chin to lift his head up. She shoved his head right and left, inspecting the words written there closely, not caring about how startled the poor boy was or how Aria was firing at her with her eyes. "Wow!" Sky gasped. "Even when you are a Punished and look that ugly, you still look handsome, Seungmin." She chuckled letting go of his face and leaning back in her chair. "Why now? What has gotten into you to look for us and start the whole apologizing thing?"

Seungmin gulped. He looked right and left at his friends before he looks at her again. "I've always wanted to make up for what I did back then. I know that whatever I do or say, would do nothing to the people I hurt. I'm not even asking for forgiveness. I just-" He paused, sighed, and then resumed. "I just wanted to make something. Anything. I even thought that when they see me like this, like the freak I became, they would feel relieved. That I'm still being punished for what I did."

Sky was listening to him, nodding to herself but her eyes kept going to someone else, other than Seungmin. And whenever she did that, the freckled boy had to find somewhere else to look at. "And who are these?" Sky asked, still keeping her eyes on Felix.

"My friends. The ones who encouraged me to do this. To face my past."

Looking back at Seungmin, she gave him a little smile. "Looks like you finally found the right entourage." She stood up, making the four friends awkwardly stand up too. They already expected to be kicked out as many did to them before. "If you are here to apologize, save it. I'm not the one you have to apologize to. I'm already over it, Seungmin and I'm not looking for closure. You may be right. Maybe some of them would be satisfied with how you look and how your life might be fucked up. Maybe they would never forgive you. Maybe they would blame you and only you for whatever happened in their lives since school days and up till now. But then the question is, do you really deserve all the hate alone? Don't you think you already had your share of punishment for those years? Didn't you change even the least?" She asked.

Seungmin looked at her dazed, not knowing how to answer. He never expected that. Some tears started to build up inside his eyes.

Sky walked from behind the table to where Seungmin was standing, still speechless. "I don't think so, Seungmin. I see a different person now. I see a grown-up, not some spoiled rich kid. And that's the point of the punishments. They are there to make people think of their deeds and correct them and then when they are ready, they can ask for forgiveness." She stepped closer to him. By then he was already crying his own floods with his head hanging low. Changbin had to shove his head away, not to show them his tears. Felix was sniffling and Aria had to pat his back. Sky reached for Seungmin's chin again and lifted it to meet his teary eyes. "Go easy on yourself. You can ask for forgiveness now. You had already had your share of misery. But to be forgiven by others, you have to forgive yourself first." She stepped back again, flashing him a smile. "Goodluck, ugly." She said playfully which made Seungmin chuckle between his sniffles.

"Thank you." He whispered while wiping his face with the back of his hand. He had nothing more to say. He was really thankful.

The four friends started retreating to the door while thanking her. Sky's eyes were following them to the door. The girl watched them leave her studio one by one. She said all she had. She said all she needed to but there was something ticking her off. There was a nagging feeling inside of her. Some inner voice told her to follow them, to be with them.

No, she needed to be with them.

Cursing under her breath, the girl strode to the door and rushed out to where they were standing by the car, ready to get in. "Wait!" She yelled. They stopped in their heels, turning to face her with confusion. Changbin was by the driver's side of the car while the rest were right in front of her. "If you really want to apologize, I guess you need to pay a visit to Namsik. The boy who almost lost his life."

Seungmin sighed dropping his head again. "I couldn't find anything about him. He just disappeared."

"I know where he lives. I'm still in contact with him. I can come with you." She said stepping forward. Not towards Seungmin or Aria, but Felix. "On one condition." She added, looking at Felix, directly where his eyes should be lying behind the sunglasses. "You, take off those glasses."