his true self

23- seen that before

Shit.

You really forgot about Mikyeong when you met Hyunjin.

Problem. Big Problem.

But- not bigger than the problem with Hyunjin. Priorities were set.

„Mikyeong", you panted, „Hyunjin's here"

The girl in front of you just eyed you. Her eyes not hinting any kind of madness or shock, but instead- annoyance?

You literally broke rule number one and told her Hyunjin was here and... she was just looking at you with two raised brows?!

Then she dropped a sentence that legit left you more speechless than you've already been.

„I know"

She- what?

„You- what?!"

„I know"

„I- what- how?!"

„I asked him to come here"

Ok- stop.

„You did WHAT?!"

You were so shocked that you found no words for what she just said.

She asked him to come?! Wasn't she the one that made plans to hide from him and literally killed his members?!

Where was the logic?!

Mikyeong shrugged her shoulders.

„It was him who called me and literally cried in his phone for twenty minutes. And well he would've done it longer I guess but I just hung up because it was getting boring you know"

Well, not only what she said was shocking, but also the way she said it- chewing gum and speaking completely unbothered.

"He... called you?! Weren't you the one who killed your own gang members and made plans to run away from him?!". No need to mention how shocked you still were.

„Yo you better be thankful. If I hadn't done this, you wouldn't be here, you know?"

Her words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the debt you now owed her. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that your fate was now inexorably tied to hers. Still, you wanted to hear the rest.

„Don't change the subject"

"He just called out of the blue, blubbering about how he'd been wrong all along," Mikyeong explained, her tone tinged with annoyance. "Then he asked if he could see you. Simple as that."

The simplicity of her explanation belied the complexity of the situation. You couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story than Mikyeong was letting on, but probing further seemed futile.

„But how did he find out?", you asked.

„How am I supposed to know?!"

„So you just told him to come?! Without asking me first?!"

„I didn't had to ask. I knew that you deep down struggled with yourself, badly wanting to see him"

„I-", you started but then closed your mouth. You knew she wasn't that wrong.

„You could at least've warned me", you mumbled, „you know how shocked I was when he suddenly stood behind me?"

„Well, I wanted to meet him together with you but someone decided to break my rules and sneaked out", she said and looked at you with a raised eyebrow.

You looked down at your feet. Again she wasn't wrong.

Mikyeong's voice cut through your thoughts, her words laden with unspoken implications. "What are you going to do?"

The question hung in the air, demanding an answer you weren't sure you had. How could you possibly make a decision when everything felt so uncertain?

„Since he probably told you the same as he told me, what are you going to do with him?", she specified.

„I don't know myself", you said after thinking for a while and sat on the bed in frustration.

„You know- he seems to be truly sorry. I can't imagine how he felt the moment he found out"

„So I should just forgive him?!"

„That's not what I said. I mean he threatened you with a gun. All I'm saying is that you should see the whole situation from his pov"

She was right. What if you would've been a member of the gang with him „betraying" you?

„I... would have been mad but- I would never ever have threatened him with a gun. I would've talked it out". You looked at Mikyeong, who nodded while she seemed to think herself.

„Yup. I know. But I think you forgot that he is still in a gang, right? You know that he kills, beats up and tortures people. So I'm not picking his side at all, but I think if he looses control over himself, he would tend to behave like that... I mean that's how he is every day. He is just different when he's around you."

Her worlds hit you like a slap in the face. She was right.

Hyunjin, after all, was a cold-hearted, brutal gang member. You just probably have never seen him behaving like one because he didn't let you. Because he had himself holding back.

But then, him thinking that you betrayed him like that, which means you would be a gang member of Jaemins gang, he probably treated you just like he'd treat his other enemies. Plus him being mad.

And that would also explain why he felt like that.

„I need to go get some air", you said, „I won't go far"

Mikyeong's gaze softened, a rare display of empathy from the enigmatic figure. "Take your time," she said gently. "No one's rushing you."

Grateful for her understanding, you slipped out of the house, craving the solace of the night air to soothe your troubled mind. The streets were silent, the darkness offering a respite from the chaos of the world.

Finding a secluded spot, you allowed yourself a moment of quiet reflection. But as you moved to sit down, you collided with someone, the sudden impact jolting you from your thoughts.

"Sorry," you muttered instinctively, but when you looked up, the blood drained from your face.

You looked straight into a familiar face.

And it wasn't Hyunjin's or Mikyeong's.