8

                                    

                                          

"Mina?" 
Fuck. 

I slowly faced her. Her face obviously looked surprise seeing me. 

"H-hey" I smiled nervously. 


She quickly looked away "what are you doing here?" Her tone is cold and distant, it scared me. 

The smiling Chaeyoung was not there anymore, her expression was sour, gritting her teeth, clenching her fist. 

"I can expl-" 

"No! Just go!" 

"please Chaeyoung Hear me o-" 


"stop Mina! , You shouldn't be here!" 

"Chaeng..." 

"No, Leave Mina... Just... Leave."  she uttered weakly. 
She sighed heavily. "I don't want you to see me like this, please, just leave." 

Her words pierced through me like I was a thin paper poke by sharp needles. But I knew from those sharp needles, she was hiding threads of sorrow. 

I did what she want, I walked slowly towards the elevator. 
The elevator door opened and so I went inside. 


The door was about to close, I saw a glimpse of Chaeyoung's cheeks glimmering. It was her tears sliding down. 


_______________________
Chaeyoung's pov. 


"She almost died because of you, and you can't even take care of her! If you can't take care of her, might as well die you piece of useless shit!"  This woman really blames it on me huh? 


I stood silently as she slap me over and over and over and over... Till I lost count. 

My cheek is getting numb. 

Yeah eomma, I want to die, I'm tired.

I smiled as she continued to slap me. 

"look at this bitch smiling, do you think this is funny huh?!" 

She continued to slap me till she was tired. 

When she's satisfied with this routine, she'd just turn her back and leave. 


Just like that. 


I hissed in pain when I finally felt the pain, my cheeks are swollen, I can't stop from smiling, not that I'm happy, but it became a reflex when I feel stressed or in pain. 



It was a trauma response I created in my childhood...more like someone created it for me. 

I looked up and saw Mina's side profile hiding behind the vending machine , at that moment, a mixture of fear and embarrassment swallowed me whole. 


I tried calling out her name. "Mina?" 


She slowly faced me. Wearing a nervous smile on her face


I quickly looked away hiding my swollen cheeks "what are you doing here?" i clenched my fist. Why are you here of all places Mina. 

"I can expl-"  before she could utter, I cut her off, One more word from her... I'm sure I'll be down weak, the walls I built will surely betray me. 

"No! Just go!" 

"please Chaeyoung Hear me o-" 

"stop Mina! , You shouldn't be here!"