rider

31

White noise. The sound of the fan, the quiet murmur from downstairs, and the sound of her breathing. It seemed like the last eternity was spent in the confinement of this room. Just Juhee and her feelings and that horrible white noise.

The door opened. Juhee wiped her tears and turned away from the door. Mingi stood at the entrance.

"Get up." Mingi stepped in, he'd been avoiding this room to give her some space, but it's been 3 days. Juhee was relentlessly avoiding the world, crying all day, refusing to eat, and, worst of all, losing herself in those tears. "You need to get some fresh air."

Juhee squeezed her eyes shut.

"Get some air Juhee-ah. You've been watching tv all weekend!"

Despite Taehee's eternal absence, her voice, her memories, Taehee herself danced in front of Juhee's eyes and taunted her ears. It was like she was right there, but that was the hard part, she wasn't and she never will be.

Juhee felt the bed dip.

"Get up." Mingi repeated. "Let me see your face at least."

Juhee turned to face him, flashing her bloodshot eyes.

"Can I at least see her?" Juhee whispered. "Or did you bury her?"

Mingi was quiet.

"Let me see her grave." Juhee begged. Sitting up and facing Mingi.

"We," Mingi placed his hand on Juhee's face and with the pad of his thumb wiped her tears. Although it was futile, against the stream that never let up.
"We never got the body."

The bluntness in his words burned.

A body? Juhee's mother was much more than a body. She was Taehee. Juhee's mother, best friend, and everything in between. Juhee took a sharp intake of air.

"They never gave her back?" How could Chenle be so cruel? They took her mother away, but they couldn't even give her back dead?

Juhee inched closer to Mingi until her head was against his chest.

"I never want to see him again."

"You never will. When I find him. I will kill him."

Juhee pulled back and looked into Mingi's eyes.

"Will you get her back for me?" She asked softly.

"I'll try."

"I'm asking you where your wife's body is and you're telling me you don't know?"

"I had my men take care of it." Juyong said quietly. Mingi's cold laugh pierced the otherwise silent room.

"What a fucking joke."

"How's Juhee doing?"

Mingi scoffed at the elder.

"You're a sorry excuse of a father and a man."

Juyong had enough. He stood up, knocking his chair down. He lunged at Mingi. He did all of this for some respect, to gain some position in the Clan. He threw away his life for this shit and this is how he was being rewarded?

"You fucking bastard. I gave up everything for the Clan. I killed my wife, I gave you my daughter." Mingi's face sported a sinister smile. He pulled Juyong's hands off his collar and threw him to the floor.

"You just fucked yourself."

Juyong looked up at him from the floor "If you can't respect me as a member of the Clan, then you need to at least respect me as your father-in-law."

Mingi cracked his neck as he stalked forward.

"You- you- you can't do this." Juyong said trying to climb to his feet as he inched backwards.

Mingi stepped on Juyong's hand and bent down. A sickening crunch resounded. Juyong groaned trying to pull away from the monster in front of him.

Mingi grabbed his hair and pulled his head backwards. He threw punches at the older man.

When Mingi was satisfied, he left the room leaving Juyong in a puddle of his own blood.

He would let Juhee's father stay around till their wedding, but after that Mingi promised himself that he would rid Juhee of the scum in her life. Whether it be in the form of her father or anyone else.

The only person Juhee would need is him. He was going to make sure of it.

Hey :)