Giving up on you

V

- He is my son… - she said out of breath referring to Hongbin.

Leo immediately removed the arm he had across her shoulders, and faced his friend who was looking at them from afar with a face full of emotions like disgust, anger, sadness and pain. He felt a flinch when the longhaired started walking towards them, he wanted to run but nothing good will come from escaping your problems, he couldn’t hide it anymore either. So he just stood there clenching his teeth.

Hundred of images of past month crossed before Hongbin’s eyes before he forcefully grabbed his friend by the neck lifting him a little ignoring his mother who was screaming his name trying to calm him down.

- What’s this?! – he spat clenching his teeth and fist even harder.

- It is what it looks like… - he answered with the minimal amount of guilt in his voice. – This is my job, Hongbin – he finished, shoving his friend wrist aside and getting free from his grab – My errand is to take care of her.

Hongbin couldn’t stand the anger suppressed on his chest any longer and punched Leo on the face with all his strength making him stumble back a few steps. The woman let out gasp covering her mouth and going to help Leo, while Hongbin felt his stomach turning upside-down. People stopped and stared at the scene, but he couldn’t care less about it.

- Stop it, Hongbin! – she cried with fake motherly tone that only annoyed him more.

- Shut up! You lost your right to control me a long time ago. – he added as much poison as he could on his voice and it seemed to have worked cause she didn’t talk back – How long have you been doing this? – He demanded with glaring eyes fixed on Leo whose upper lip was bleeding open.

Leo thought that it was enough pain for Hongbin to bear so instead of trying to make an excuse that would hurt him more he should make his friend hate him so he couldn’t go in peace and had to come back sooner or later.

- A year and a half? – he said with a not-so-prideful grin – I didn’t know she was your mother, but this the only way an underage orphan like me found to survive and I know it’s wrong so don’t even bother trying to scold me about it cause you and _____, who live full of comfort, wouldn’t even understand it. – he glared back at him cleaning the blood that started to run to his chin.

- Don’t even mention her name! She is too good for you! – he looked at Leo, like wanting to kill him with his eyes.

- Too good or not, you’re in a disadvantage, you know? Cause I’ll make her mine and forget you.

Hongbin threw another punch but this time Leo blocked it with his right arm and used the left one to hit his stomach and suffocate him making him retort in the flow trying to catch his breath. Finally the woman seemed to have remembered he was her son for she to run back to his side, lying a hand on his back that he soon brushed off.

- I’ll get her back, no matter what you do… – he said still on the floor and out of breath – I’ll never give up on her.

- That’s not or you to decide. – he turned his back to him and started to walk, leaving Hongbin’s mother there. Neither of them was able to see Leo’s troubled expression as he left the scene.

- Hongbin, it was me who started it…- she tried to talk but her son stood up and walked to the other side.

 Those were the last words Hongbin heard from Leo.

As he was reaching your house he called you, asking you to get out so before he arrived to were standing next to the front gate, wearing the red scarf he gave you.

- I’m glad you liked it – he pointed at the scarf around your neck.

- Of course, you have good taste in clothes. – you smiled.