I woke up, realizing I was sitting in front of the river. Morning had arrived, and I yawned, rubbing my eyes as I tried to piece together the events of the night. Did I fall asleep? The soft mumbling beside me caught my attention, and I looked down to find a sleepy Hyunjin, his head resting on my lap, asleep like a child.
My eyes widened in a mix of surprise and panic. I needed to leave before he woke up. I began to gently push him back and forth, attempting to disentangle myself without waking him. "Stay," I heard a dark, deep voice say. I glanced down to see Hyunjin with closed eyes. "W-what," I mumbled, hoping he was still under the influence of alcohol, that he wouldn't remember anything and would let me go.
"I told you to stay," he said, holding me closer. His grip tightened around my foot, as if preparing to stop me if I tried to run. I was left utterly speechless, uncertain of how to navigate this unexpected and confounding situation.
"W-what, are you awake?" I panicked, my hands becoming clammy. Despite my frustration, my heart pounded in my chest. Hyunjin sat up, staring at the river without acknowledging me. He sighed, his gaze fixed on the water below.
Feeling the urge to leave, I stood up and reached for my bag, but his hand quickly grabbed my wrist. "W-wha..." I stammered, shocked and a bit scared. The fear of being played again and my lingering anger at him surged within me.
"Tell me why Minho's phone was with you," he demanded, giving me a dangerous stare. It was as if he had forgotten that he was the one who initiated the conflict between us.
I pushed him away, shooting him a dirty look. "You don't get to tell me what to say or not! Y-you're the one who did this!" I said, standing up. Hyunjin rose to his feet as well, pretending to brush off nonexistent dust from his clothes.
"I asked you something," he said, his voice laced with jealousy and hurt. I looked at him with a disappointed expression. "Y-you're crazy. I can't believe you," I scoffed, grappling with a mix of frustration and disbelief at the situation he had created.
He began chuckling humorlessly, and I stared at him with a mix of anger and hurt in my eyes. Was he finding amusement in this? "You think I wanted this," he asked me. I scoffed, looking at him with a disappointing expression.
"You could've at least told me. Do you know how much you hurt me? How much you embarrassed me!" I let my anger surge, releasing the pent-up frustration on him. His eyes softened, and he looked at me with a shocked expression, perhaps realizing the extent of the pain he had caused.
"Y/n," he whispered before I interrupted him. "You know what," I said, and he looked at me with a mix of confusion and sadness. "You're just some—" I yelled out, my voice laced with pain, tears welling up in my eyes. Despite the anger, the sight of him looking so innocent melted my heart, but I had to say it. "You're just some selfish, bitchy jerk! You only think about yourself; you never think about the people you're making mad! You're just some weird, mean, selfish player!" I shouted, my nose red from the cold, my hair a little messy, and my eyes filled with tears.
"You don't mean that," Hyunjin said, his voice filled with shock. He took a step closer to me, as if about to grab my hand, but I pushed him away, tears streaming down my face. He looked at me, a mix of shock and hurt in his eyes. "A-are you crying?" It seemed he hadn't fully grasped the extent of the pain he had been causing me. The cold reality of my tears revealed the depth of my anguish, and for the first time, he seemed to notice the profound impact of his actions.
He walked closer to me, opening his arms as I continued to cry. God, how I hated him. The conflict of despising him and simultaneously loving him tore at my insides. Despite my inner turmoil, I found myself wrapped in his tight embrace. "Are you okay?" he whispered, his warmth attempting to provide solace. "Don't cry," he pleaded softly, his fingers gently playing with my hair as he continued to hold me.
I felt like I was caught in a dream, yet trapped in a nightmare. The conflicting desires to escape and stay battled within me. In his arms, I felt a strange sense of safety, as if he would never hurt me, despite the undeniable pain he had caused. The hate burned within me for how he perceived me – a mere bet, an easy target. I despised the humiliation I endured in front of everyone.
"Not again."
As Hyunjin and I shared an embrace, a distant murmur of discontent and curses reached my ears. Turning around, I was met with the sight of Minho, his expression a storm of anger and hurt. Hastily disentangling myself from Hyunjin, I faced the brewing confrontation. "Why is he here?" Hyunjin expressed his annoyance while Minho shot him a deathly glare. Desperate to defuse the escalating tension, I approached Minho. "Minho, let's go home, okay?" I pleaded, closing the distance between us. Minho, however, was done with me. "I can't believe you, Y/n. After everything he's done to you, you still choose him," he exclaimed, his words dripping with a mix of disbelief and pain.
"What do you mean?" Hyunjin responded with annoyance. Minho, unable to contain his emotions, approached Hyunjin. "You know I like her," he confessed, a trace of pain lingering in his voice. My eyes widened as an awkward silence enveloped us.
"How could you do this! You hurt her! You don't deserve her!" Minho yelled, seizing Hyunjin by his collar. "Let go of me," Hyunjin responded, his eyes shooting daggers at Minho. As I attempted to intervene with a plea for them to stop, a thunderous groan interrupted me. "I said let go of me!" Hyunjin shouted before delivering a powerful punch to Minho's jaw. The force of the blow sent Minho sprawling to the floor, and my eyes widened in shock.
"Oh my god! Hyunjin!" I yelled in shock and fear as Minho rose again, launching himself at Hyunjin. A powerful punch from Minho connected with Hyunjin's eye, causing him to stagger and fall. Minho seized the opportunity and mounted Hyunjin, raining down punches while Hyunjin desperately shielded his face with his hands. "Stop, I—" I tried to intervene, but before I could, Hyunjin mustered strength, throwing Minho off and retaliating with a flurry of hits. The chaotic brawl continued, and I felt a mix of fear and helplessness.
"Please stop!" I yelled, attempting to push Hyunjin off Minho. Hyunjin glanced at me, realizing tears were streaming down my face. Minho remained on the floor. Hyunjin got off Minho, offering me an apologetic look. "You're always making a mess!" I shouted, frustration and anger evident in my voice. "You're such a bad guy! Can't you just fuck off, you unwanted piece of rat!" I yelled in a fit of anger, and Hyunjin looked at me with a hint of hurt in his eyes.
"i'm sorry.."
