VENOM » SKZ Lee Know [mafia au]

18 - Silence

SONG REC: "YESTODAY" - NCT U

🕸🕸🕷🕸🕸

Yun, could you come see me please? Chan texted her.

Yes, she replied, using the new phone Lee Know had gotten her. She took in a shaky breath before walking to Chan's room.

Looking at him on his bed, waiting for her, she was filled with an overwhelming sadness. Something about their casual intimacy held a special place in her heart. She had loved him, truly. And he loved her, too. She couldn't help but miss what they had sometimes.

In her arms, she was holding the book that he had gifted her a long time ago. It was one of her few possessions, and her comfort book. She would never tire of it.

"You still have it?" he asked quietly. The rips and sticky notes on the book confirmed that it was the original copy Chan gifted her.

"Yeah." She sat down on the bed beside him.

He stayed silent, staring off into space. "I remember that it was your favorite book."

"It still is. I – we made good memories." She thumbed the book nervously.

He pried the book from her, flipping through the pages and reading the notes that they both wrote inside. "I remember reading it to you at night, when you couldn't sleep. Do you still remember that?" He gazed into her eyes. There were so many memories between them.

"Of course," she said, scooting closer to him. "That's why it's my favorite."

"Maybe...we can make it work now," he said hesitantly. "I miss you. I miss us." He interlocked their pinkies, and she couldn't control the skip in her heartbeat. But she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "You treated me well. But we had the connection of best friends, not a couple. And you know – we never were able to make time for each other."

"I would make time for you now."

"Chan. You know that you can't, with your job always being long missions." She fidgeted with her eye patch. It had been a while since she last done that.

"I wouldn't leave for so long now. And you could join me. And—" he paused. "I know I sound desperate. But I'm desperate for you."

"I've changed, how do you know you still like me?"

"Because no matter how many changes there are, there's still the you that I fell for. I know those qualities didn't change because I see them in you now."

"Oh, Chan," she whispered. "We can't."

He looked away. "But Yun, we were so good togeth–"

Loud stomping made him freeze. Lee Know had walked into the room without knocking.

"Hey, Chan," Lee Know said, looking at their fingers, which were still interlocked. "Yun."

He walked over and nodded for her to stand up. When she did, he quickly bent at the waist and then carried her on his shoulder.

"Lee Know?!" she shouted, the world upside down. She ignored Chan's piercing gaze and stared at Lee Know's back. "Sir? What are you doing?"

Lee Know stayed silent as he walked from Chan's room to his.

He put her down on his bed and sat down next to her. "Sorry," he said, not sorry at all, "I felt like doing that." Now flustered, he played with his hands awkwardly,

She shrugged, scooting farther back on the bed. Secretly, she was happy that he did that. Because she couldn't bear breaking Chan's heart further. She knew that he would need some time to comprehend what happened.

As she looked around, she saw a photo of three cats on Lee Know's desk and beamed.

"Are those your cats?"

He looked at the photo and visibly softened. "Yeah. I gave them away a couple years ago though, because I couldn't take care of them anymore. Their names are Soonie, Doongie, and Dori."

"I'm sorry," she said. "They're adorable. I used to have a cat myself, but then I...things happened." She paused awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm sure you don't wanna hear about my oh-so-tragic life story."

He tilted his head. "Actually, I have time. What were those...things? That happened?"

She took a shaky breath. "I used to be a sex worker. And I did some other things for money, too." She vaguely motioned to her eye patch. "This was part of it."

He listened carefully. He had the urge to ask her for more details, to get to know her better, but he held back. When she was silent for a full minute, he began to talk.

"I was sold into slavery by my so called 'parents' and I was bought and sold by a lot of people. There was also, hm, sex work along the way. Or harassment, I guess. Now, all I really want is revenge." He didn't know why he was opening up to her, when it took him nearly two years to tell the members.

Yun instinctively reached over to hold his hand but froze, taking it back. Lee Know's eyes widened slightly, but with a shaky hand, he reached over and grabbed hers. He looked in the other direction, so she couldn't look at him.

They held hands in silence until Seungmin knocked on the door.

"Dinner's ready!" Seungmin called. The two jumped apart as if their hands were on fire.

"Let's go now," Yun said as casually as possible.

"Yes," he agreed, even more casually.

Walking out the room like nothing happened, they maintained a safe distance away from each other. But their flushed faces and quick glances were already enough for the members to know what was going on.

🕸🕸🕷🕸🕸

After dinner, Chan brought Yun to his room to talk.

"Listen, I'm sorry if I made you feel pressured before," he began. "Honestly, I still have feelings for you but if you're not ready for a relationship or simply don't want to be with me, I'll respect that. So let's be friends, okay? I miss our friendship." He smiled hesitantly. "Please?"

She felt her heart break for the future they could've had under normal circumstances.

"Yes, let's be friends, Chan," she said with a heavy heart. She returned his smile. "Thank you for this."

He deserved her friendship, respect, and honesty, after everything they'd been through. She didn't love him romantically anymore, and she couldn't lie to him and try a relationship with him again.

Not when she had another person on her mind.

————