1865 ; jungwon

CHAPTER 43

Jiyeon did not notice how long she hid there, watching the man she cares the most being brutally abused by no other than her father and brother.

She hid there with raging crystal eyes, fist clenching with her heart sinking deeper and deeper. She's full of regret.

Regret that she did nothing but to follow her family for the past few days, not knowing her lifeline is suffering alone in this sickening farmhouse. With his body covered with wounds and bruises, with nothing but torn clothes...

And Jiyeon doubt her parents provide him food and water.

It is so painful to see. Jiyeon can literally feel her heart shattering into pieces just by looking at his appearance.

He's broken. So so broken.

And it pains her. So much.

Especially when she witnessed with her own eyes how her father beats him with a thick stick, how her brother kick him in the head, how they spit right on his face, Jiyeon could not watch it more.

She could not continue seeing the one who she cared the most being beaten by those people who she once thought were good. Who she thought will protect her. Them.

From the people.

So she shut her eyes tightly. But still, her tears continuously streaming down her cheeks because no matter how hard she close her eyes, she can still see his state. She can still imagine it. Especially when she can clearly hear his whimpers every hit he receives from her father and brother.

And that lasts for a few minutes. But then it stopped. And then she hears it.

Jiyeon hears how her father laughed, along with the people inside the house. And that made Jiyeon open her eyes.

Her gaze immediately landed on her lifeline, to her Jungwon, who is surprisingly looking at her.

To her eyes.

Jiyeon was about to open her mouth to say something but before she could even risk it, the man shook his head, a sign for her to not continue. To just close her mouth and hide to where she currently is.

Jiyeon dried her cheeks with her fist but her tears doesn't stop flowing. Doesn't stop streaming. Especially when Jungwon smiled from where he is.

His gaze lingers to hers for a good few seconds before he opened his mouth a little then mouthed,

"I missed you. "

Jiyeon immediately covered her mouth with her hand, trying her best not to make a sound.

I missed you too, so so much. So damn much, Jungwon. So fucking much.

But she held those words in as she doesn't trust herself to not make any noise once she uncover her lips and open her mouth. So no matter how badly she wanted to tell him, she didn't.

She chose not to, but her eyes shows it. Her tears screams it and that's enough for Jungwon to understand.

So once again, his busted lips curved into a light smile, his eyes going down to his hands which Jiyeon follows.