You & I

🌼 Part 23 - Don't Leave Me 🌼

Why was he so mad? What did I do?

After he had left, Myung cried, but she did not know what for. She was puzzled, confused on why Joon had gone off on her like that. Throughout the time that they knew each other, Joon had never shown anger towards Myung. Sure, there were small arguments when they were together, but they would always make up in the end. Myung wondered if this had to do with the stress of being an idol. She wondered if it was temporary, and maybe if she waited, Joon would come back and apologize. So, she waited.

Hours passed. Nothing.

Days passed. Still nothing.

Weeks passed. Still...nothing.

Myung would text him, but she realized he had blocked her phone number. She tried to contact the other members, only finding the same thing. She was so lost.

She even tried to go the members' dorm, but she only found a "FOR SALE" sign on the door. They...moved away?! Something was wrong, and she knew it.

Her parents had tried to help, but she insisted this was something she had to do on her own. They had flown back to America a few days after Joon's outburst. Myung was in her room, contemplating on why the boys would cut ties with her for no apparent reason. Was there a reason why? She wondered who she could contact. She tried social media, but all she found was selcas of the members, which did not help too much. She took a minute to scroll through it. Joon's picture popped up. She stared at it, admiring it. Joon...I wish I can see you again. Nothing was new, not even updates on upcoming concerts. She then remembered that the boys' had finished their world tour before she was in a coma. Did they have a comeback while I was out?

She searched through the media again. The boys had released a mini album during her coma, but there was no sign of a comeback schedule. Myung threw her phone on the bed in frustration. There had to be someone she knew that also had contact with the boys. Myung walked back and forth in her room. Then, she stopped.

Rin.

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Myung pulled up to Rin's driveway. She turned off the car and sat there. Rin is still with Jung-hoon. She has to know what's going on. Myung stepped out of her car and slammed the door. She walked up to the door and rang the bell. After about ten seconds, there was no answer, so Myung rang the bell again. After ringing the bell at least two more times, Myung started knocking on the door. "RIN?? Are you in there??" Myung shouted through the door. Her car is also in the driveway. She has to be home. She tried the doorknob, and it was unlocked.

Myung let herself in. The living room was empty and Rin was nowhere to be found. She closed the door behind her and began walking around the house. "Rin? Where are you?" she called out. After searching the kitchen and bathroom, she walked down the hallway to Rin's bedroom. She knocked slowly. "Rin?"

There was no answer, but Myung opened the door anyway. What she found next was unexpected. A mirror was shattered on the floor and various clothes flooded the room. What happened here? She looked at the bed, and a lump can be seen under the thick layers of blankets. Balls of tissues were found almost everywhere, and the blinds were closed, so not a ray of sunshine fled through the room. Myung stepped inside carefully, avoiding the glass pieces. She slowly made her way to the bed, and observed the lump. Yep, that's her.

She poked the lump, and it slowly turned around. The blankets pulled down, revealing Rin's face that was red and puffy, as if she were crying. "RIN!! My god, what happened to you?!" Myung yelped in concern. She tried to pull Rin up, but she stayed in her position. "Love is cruel," was all she could say.

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After forcing Rin to wash herself up, Myung took the liberty to clean Rin's room, which was a mess. It took almost an hour to clear and organize everything while Rin took care of herself. After making some tea, Rin had finally stepped out of the shower. Her wet hair fell on the towel she had thrown over her shoulders, and she wore her light blue jammies. She slowly sat down at the kitchen table and drank some tea. "Rin, please tell me what happened," Myung said as she sipped her tea. Rin took a deep breath before saying anything.

"Jung-hoon came over my house a few weeks ago. It was our one year anniversary, so we decided to just spend it by ourselves in the privacy of my house. Everything seemed normal. We talked and stuff, nothing too huge. He then gave me a ring," Rin pointed at the one sitting on her coffee table in the living room. It was a silver band that was decorated with pink jewels that were shaped like cherry blossoms "It was beautiful. It had our initials and the date he asked me out. I was so moved by the gesture," she went on to say. "But then, he said he needed to tell me something... And... I wasn't ready for what happened next..." Rin placed her cup on the table and covered her face with her hands, as if she were ready to cry again.

Myung placed her hand on her shoulder, attempting to comfort her. Rin put her hands down and sniffed. "I still don't understand 'till this day. He said...he said it was all a lie. The whole relationship was a fake. And... I couldn't even process this. This man, who've I have been with for so long, says that our whole relationship was fake? I didn't understand it," Rin said quietly. "He said the only reason he dated me was that his family pressured him. They haven't really approved of him being an idol, so he thought if he got a girlfriend, it would make them happy," she went on to say.

"Oh, Rin..." Myung knew she couldn't completely comfort Rin, for that this was something beyond her understanding. "I just couldn't understand it. I thought....I thought we had something. I thought our love was true. After he told me that, he wanted to end things since he didn't want to lie anymore. He claimed he never loved me, and I just lost it," Rin allowed her head to fall into her arms. She chuckled and went on to say, "I kicked him out. I threw all the things he gave to me outside. I yelled so much at him, and he just took it. The funny thing is that I kept the ring... I guess I didn't want to completely forget about him. But can you even imagine? Someone whom you loved so much and you thought that they loved you back, but they didn't? It was all for show." Myung couldn't believe what she was saying. Rin and Jung-hoon... they always seemed so happy together.

As Rin stood up to put the empty cup in the sink, she laughed again. "I took some time off work and I haven't stepped out of my house since that night. The wound is still fresh..." Myung had to think about it. Then it hit her. "Wait, Rin, when did this happen? When did Jung-hoon end things with you?" she asked hastily. Rin looked at her in a confused way. "I don't know, it was a few weeks ago. I think it was the 15th... I'm not too sure," Rin said. Myung gasped. The same day Joon left my house! Could it be a coincidence?? "Why do you ask Myung? I was going to ask if you've been with Joon recently..." Rin said as she washed her cup.

After explaining the incident with Joon, Rin too, was surprised. "And he just left like that?? That is so not like Joon!" Myung nodded. "Have you been able to contact the other boys?" Myung asked Rin. She shook her head. "I guess I was trying to look for an explanation, but they blocked my number." she simply said. "You don't think it's suspicious??" Myung asked with concern in her voice. "Why would it be suspicious?"

"Joon and Jung-hoon left us on the same day, and we can't even reach the other boys. They moved out of their old dorm, and there has been no activity from them on social media. I think something is up."

THE END

- TO BE CONTINUED -