Treacherous | Lee Seokmin

16.

A silhouette behind the wall caught her eyes. Aeri traced the figure and soon found him going circles in the room. Chasing him from his back, she was getting closer. Only a few inches away, she slowly touched his shoulder. Her hands were shaking and her whole body was sweating in fear. He cautiously turned his body around followed by his head.

"S-seokmin oppa?" Her eyes widen to see her brother standing right in front of her.

She hugged him tightly in a heartbeat and her cheeks were wet in tears. She couldn't express her feelings. Was she happy? Sad? She just kept on hugging to show how much she missed him.

But he didn't. He just stood there with his arms aside of him. Suddenly, he backed away, pushing Aeri away from his body.

"O-oppa? What's wrong?"

"Leave."

"W-why?"

"LEAVE!"

Maybe this was an effect he didn't had his treatment for a long time. She held her patience. She knew, he must've missed her too.

He then turned Aeri's body away from him. Roughly, he pushed her away out to the door.

"What are you doing?!"

"I don't need you here. I told you to leave, didn't I? I was sick.. Because of you! It's always about you! I risked my whole life just for a spoiled brat like you. LEAVE!"

BAM!

He fling her away and slammed the door. Aeri fell to the hard ground. Her ankle sprained and her knees were red. She went back for the door and frantically  knocked with her fists.

"OPPA! Please tell me why?? OPPA!!"

With a dropped jaw, buggy eyes and sweaty palms, her hot, salty head pops up from the headrest of the car in a heart-pounding state of emergency. After a second of massively intense panic where she zoomed into brain-rushing, adrenaline-gushing overdrive, it just suddenly dawns on her...

It was all just a dream.

Mingyu just stared at her the whole moment.

"What was that?" She stood at him, as he wasn't driving anymore but stopping by at a place near a river.

"Nothing. Just a stupid nightmare."

"Well it's not 'night' right now so probably you should say 'daymare'" he chuckled.

She hit him on the shoulder with her fists. How could he even make a joke at a time like this?

"Ouch. What was that for?"

"For you being a blockhead. My brother wouldn't treat me like this." She crossed her arm turning her head away from him.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry,"

He suddenly drew closer and placed an arm around her.

"Is this better?", he spoke in a soft tone.

It wasn't his brother doing it, she felt uneasy and it was different. She lifted his arm off her shoulders.

"It's okay. I'm fine. Why are we stopping anyway?"

"I've been driving for 3 hours straight. I just need a short rest," he adjusted the seat and leaned backwards as he placed his arms under his head.

"I don't want to offend you, but a letter slipped out from your bag when you were sleeping so I read it. Why do you want to find him so instantly?"

"You read my letter? Oh what a great way to convince my trust in you,"

"I said I'm sorry-"

"No you didn't!"

"Well, at least I'm honest I told you. It's just curiosity, you know?"

Aeri took a deep sigh and rested her back. Maybe he should have the right to know as he insisted himself to go along with her.

"A few months ago when we left each other-,"

"Wow story time", he cut her with excitement. Aeri gave him a look that would probably be a sign his soul will be gone.

"Woops. Okay. Go on",

Sigh, was her only answer.

"Well, he promised me. He promised he would come back to me. I know him well, he never breaks any promises we made. But in the letter, he didn't mention a thing about it,"

"It's been months Aeri, maybe he has forgotten?"

"No. He never and never will. I just feel like there's something going on which makes him not to mention about it."

"But you don't even know when was that letter was written. He probably could be-"

"Dead?" She snapped.

Silence filled in the tense atmosphere. Aeri knew she shouldn't have cut him but she doesn't want him to know she's keeping too much hope that his brother is still alive out there, somewhere.

"I-I don't mean to say he's-"

"It's okay, Mingyu. You just don't understand. As for me, I must think the sequences even the worst things too. At least, I know where his body could be," she looked at the river streaming, imagining her tears would gather as much as it flows. One day, she thought.

Their journey continued a few minutes later. Eventually they arrived the town which took them 2 more hours. Mingyu was already looking exhausted he straightly went to sleep at the backseat.

Aero looked at the time and it was already 5pm. She stayed in the car, looking around the town through the glass window. Somewhere between the buildings, she noticed a figure. She scrutinised him, though he was barely to be recognised. She was taken aback as she realised he was looking towards the jeep she was in, but only for a moment and went away.

"Beware,"

Her heartbeat skipped and gasped in shock to hear a sudden whisper from her right ear. It was Mingyu.

"This town might be lively and filled with ethical people. But just watch out, these townfolks can't always be trusted. Now you get it why I said you were going to kill yourself,"

"So how can I even go out?"

"Just stick with me," he simply replied and laid back in his position, eyes shut and probably going back to sleep.