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"Minju? Hyeji, call my dad!" I ran toward the door. Seokjin followed closely behind me.320Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTctRSjYGQ
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I rushed outside into the cold night, my eyes desperately searching for movement. The gravel crunched under every hurried step. My pulse pounding in my head. I heard a strained sound and followed it. Surely enough, under a street light by the bushes were two figures. One, who I recognized as my sister, was struggling against the other. Fiery adrenaline shot through my body before I ran toward them.
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Seokjin tried to grab me. "No, let me go!"
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I slipped out from his grip. If he wanted to come, that was fine but I couldn't stay behind. That's my sister! I was supposed to look after her and make sure nothing bad happened to her!
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Then out of nowhere another figure entered the scene, kicking Minju's attacker away. I heard him yell at her to run before a fight ensued. She obeyed and began running towards us. When she finally saw us, her teary eyes were relieved. She stumbled into my arms, her breaths uneven.
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"Eonni!" She bawled. "I was just talking on the phone then a creep jumped me!"
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Minju held on to me while we watched the two figures fighting each other. I watched to see if any of the guys fighting were identifiable. But Minju's attacker was hooded. I tried hard to focus on the good samaritan but he was wearing a hat. It was impossible to see anything. The details of his loose green jacket wasn't at all familiar either.
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"Yurim-ah! Minju-ya!" My dad ran out to us. I quickly showed him we were both okay and explained what happened. He then instructed Seokjin to take us back inside.
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Seokjin did as he was told and led the both of us in with my sister's tears staining my sweater. On our way in, Hoseok had just ran out, almost crashing into us. His eyes were wide with fear but instantly became relieved when he saw us. He quickly ushered us into the building.
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When we got in, mom was waiting for us. The woman's face was stricken with worry before our return eased her. Minju finally traded me for my mother and the two embraced with tears. Hyeji joined their tearful reunion. Jimin eagerly probed Seokjin with questions about what happened. I expelled a heavy sigh as I tried to calm the buzz in my body when someone turned me around.
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Hoseok pulled me into his chest.
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The surprisingly firm embrace made me feel like I was swaddled in a warm blanket. A soft but unbreakable cocoon. I sunk my face into his shoulder and hugged his torso. My nerves already began to calm down. The tremor in my hand, left by adrenaline, subsided.
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"I thought they got you." He said. His voice unusually low.
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"No, they got Minju but someone out there saved her." I tried to make my voice sound as soothing as possible. Reassuring him that everything was okay. I'd never seen him worry like this before. "Wait, how did you know something was wrong? You weren't here earlier." I pulled away to look at him.
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"Oh, I-uh, saw Hyeji and your mom rushing to the rec room. They both looked really scared so I knew something was wrong." Hoseok didn't say anymore than that. I was still confused as to how he could've thought I was taken. Surely Hyeji would've told everyone it was Minju.
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"Look!"
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Everyone followed Hyeji's gaze toward the window. We all watched as my dad made his way back to the room. And he wasn't alone. Dad clapped the back of the guy next to him as they approached the door. The room was filled with anticipation as we all waited to see the face of the kind man who saved Minju.
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But when they both stepped into the light, we saw that the stranger wasn't a man at all.
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I stared in disbelief.
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"Min Yoongi."
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YOONGI
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This was the last time I listen to you, Hoseok, you bastard.
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It was already weird coming to a place I wasn't familiar with. It was worse when you discover the people who hated you were here as a collective. One minute I was more paranoid about being followed by Jungkook. Now, as I stood at the center of everyone's eyes...I would rather be fighting that psycho.
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"Honey," the owner looked to his wife. "I was just telling this young man that we'd treat him to a good meal. On the house." The woman nodded in agreeance.
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"It's the least we can do." She patted the crying girl on her head.
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"But first you'll want your wounds taken care of." He pointed at my face. Some of the old cuts on my face reopened during my unexpected rematch with my old friend. "Yurim-ah!"
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"Yes?"
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I peeked out from under the rim of my hat to find her there next to Hoseok. Her face was pale like she'd seen a ghost. On the other side of her were Seokjin and his friend, both of whom I wasn't interested in acknowledging. But even without doing so I could already feel their wariness toward me.
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"My daughter will help you clean those up." He patted my shoulder and ushered me to her.
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I looked at Yurim who looked like she wanted to protest but thought twice about contradicting her dad. I cut through the room, straight to her. Yurim headed for the door opposite of where I entered. As I tailed behind her, I brushed passed Seokjin--not acknowledging him or anyone else whose skeptic eyes followed me.
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The girl in front of me reluctantly led the way to a different part of the building. Her head would turn every now and again to make sure I was keeping up but no words were said.
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Her outfit was homey and warm. It was only the second time I've seen her style since the day she and Seokjin met Namjoon on the street. Yurim's shiny, silky hair swayed side to side as she walked. The ends brushing the back pockets or her dark blue jeans.
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So her family owns this place? It was just one of the many details Hoseok failed to mention when he convinced me to come.
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After retrieving a first aid kit, Yurim led me to a common area where there lay multiple mats on the floor. Patrons were scattered among them, minding their own business. But there were also chairs and tables on the outer parts of the room where hardly anyone was, which is where we sat. She brought her seat in front of me, our knees almost touching.
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My reluctant nurse set the box on the table beside us. I waited silently as she picked out the things she needed. She prepped a cotton pad soaked with disinfectant before asking,
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"Can you lean forward?"
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I leaned in toward her where there lingered a subtle fruity fragrance. It reminded me of those creamy Melona ice cream bars at the convenience store. Feathery, soft eyebrows sat above her dark eyes. Her long black hair flowed down the sides of her face. A strand had been caught between her pink lips. The corners of her mouth ever so slightly curved upwards.
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Yurim began dabbing the cut on my cheek. I winced at the sting. The silence carried on as she cleaned my injuries. Her eyes careful not to meet with mine. As she moved on to applying ointment, I noticed a little tremor in her hand.
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"Your hands are shaking."
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Yurim mistakenly looked at me when I spoke but was quick to undo the damage. "Well, my sister was just attacked. That would shake up anyone."
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I thought back to the moment I was wandering aimlessly outside in the cold. Hoseok wanted an update on Jungkook before letting me in. I had just been on the phone with him when I saw Jungkook trying to take a girl with him. A girl who, in the dark, looked a lot like Yurim.
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"I thought she was you." I said, deep in thought. "When I saw her get jumped."
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Suddenly her hands froze in place. Her eyes finally found their nerve to look straight at mine. I couldn't guess what was behind them. It could've been silent outrage or restrained repulsion. I didn't know. Did I say something wrong? I wondered. After a moment passed she broke out of whatever trance she was in and began stammering.
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"W-well, a-anyway. I'll just, um, put these bandages on and we'll be done." Her shaking hands hurriedly placed two band-aids; one on my cheek and the other on the bridge of my nose. The contact left my skin sizzling from her touch. "Done."
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Yurim turned away, packing everything back up in a hurry. Something inside me told me to act quickly.
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"Your dad said something about the dining room?" I started nervously.
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"The dining room is right over there." She pointed across the room, avoiding eye contact again. "I'm sure my dad already told them about you, so just order what you want. It closes in two hours." She scurried to her feet to leave but I caught her hand first. Instinctively, she flinched and pulled away but I held my grip. Her eyes were tempted to shoot daggers but they stiffly avoided me. Unlike in those days.
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"Aren't you hungry?" I asked.
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She hesitated. "I...I already ate." Yurim's hand then slipped out from my grip before she walked away. A heavy sigh of defeat escaped my lips as I watched her leave.
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"You're even weirder than before." I mumbled.
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I stuffed another heap of steaming, glass noodles in my mouth, along with some beef I had on the side. A side of mandu steamed into the air. Two gimbap were left waiting to be consumed. Funny how free food could make a person hungry. Initially, I received a couple of weird looks from people. Likely because of my face. But their gawking seemed to lessen when Hoseok sat across from me.
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"You look like you're enjoying yourself." He said. I continued eating. "Very content for causing a panic." Hoseok raised a brow at me. It took a moment for me to realize what he meant. I let out an irked sigh.
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"It was dark. I thought it was her. Wouldn't you rather me tell you and be wrong then not tell you and be right?" I asked.
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"I guess," the guy shrugged, forfeiting his attempt at blame. Hoseok stretched and yawned, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. "I just hope that was the last stressful call of the night." I gulped up another mouthful of noodles, as I tried to figure out what he meant. What other stressful calls was he getting? "So what did she say to you? When she patched you up."
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"Nothing much. Didn't seem too keen on talking to me. I'm guessing you didn't tell her yet."
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"Tell her what?"
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I stopped chewing then looked at him. I quickly swallowed the food in my mouth. "You said you'd tell her about the rooftop if I came here tonight. That was the deal. A deal in which you failed to mention anything about this place and who'd be here."
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"Seems to be working out for you pretty well though." He plucked a roll of gimbap and stuffed it into his own mouth. "Besides, I didn't say I'd tell her about the rooftop. I said I'd make sure she knows what you need her to know." I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to get his meaning. "Which is: you're not the bad guy. That she has no need to fear you. Right?"
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I stared at him. "Sure."
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"Well? You saved her sister, didn't you? Doesn't that give you some leeway to at least prove yourself?"
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As much as I didn't want to admit it, he had a point. At school she nearly took my head off just from looking at me. That was a kind of anger that didn't simply believe in words like, 'hey I couldn't stand for the way my idiot friends were treating you so I got beat to shit. Wanna be friends?' She would've needed to see it to believe it. Tonight, she acted different. It still felt like she hated me but she held herself back. And then I realized...
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"Wait, you say that like you knew what went down with Jungkook tonight would happen." I suspected. The guy gave me a serious look.
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"Don't get carried away with ridiculous theories, Yoongi. I didn't know jack about what happened. But it happened. And you can either make it work for you or let the opportunity slip away." He grabbed a dumpling and popped it in his mouth. "Mm, a little crunch. Those are the best!"
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I scoffed and watched him with wariness. The way he hid his personality and his deadly skills were one thing. Now he showed signs of being a trained opportunist. This guy gave me sketchy vibes. But at least we're on the same side. I think. "You're a wolf in sheeps clothing."
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Hoseok thought to himself then shrugged. "A wolf who keeps his promises. Anyway, we're all going hiking up the mountain tomorrow morning. I'll let Mr. Lee know you're coming with us so he'll let you room with us."
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"I don't think so. I'm not going anywhere with those pretty boys."
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"You will if you want to prove yourself to her. She'll think tonight was just a fluke then go back to hating you."
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I stopped to think about it. Hiking with those jerks. What a pain. But she'd be there too. "She won't want me tagging along."
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"She won't stop you either."
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My knee bounced restlessly under the table. This was weird. I never went on an outing with her before. Unless school trips count. I've never been this close to her since middle school. It wouldn't be pleasant with the other guys there. But it was a rare opportunity I wouldn't get everyday.
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"Besides, who knows if Jungkook will be back. I need extra eyes to keep a look out."
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I clicked my tongue. "Why didn't you say that first?!"
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"So you're coming then?" He asked.
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"Whatever. But I'm not rooming with you guys."
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"What ever you want." He gave a smiley two thumbs up. The strange guy swiped another dumpling before leaving. I watched him with silent irritation as he skipped out of the door.
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This weekend is already giving me a headache.
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