Your Name || yejisu

Chapter 21

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Oh, fuck.

Her father ran toward us in a furry.

I lost balance of my footing and...fell.

"Yeji! " Lia screamed.

My head bumped on something and then I fell off of all my long on the ground. Thankfully it was grass. I missed the concrete only by a few inches.

" Yeji!....Fuck," Chaeryeong checked me up and tried to take a hold of me was noises were heard in the house. Like someone came down the stairs in a rush or maybe multiple. My head was ringing. It was confusing. Irene tried to get me up but I was dizzy.

My vision was blurred, my head was throbbing, my ears were whistling and my body aching.

"Shit," Chaeryeong was panicking beside me " Yeji...answer me.....goddamnit.....are you ok? "

I might have a concussion.

" I'm...fine," I obviously lied.

" Then get the fuck up....oh shit ,"

What was happening? I shut my eyes close. I thought I was gonna throw up. Even with my eyes closed, it felt like the ground underneath was moving. As if I was on a boat caught in a storm.

"Da...dad, please...stop. Don't...hurt....her,"

Lia.

I blinked, trying to regain my sight. I needed to see her. She was crying from afar. I heard the screams coming from inside. I needed to get a hold of myself. For Lia.

I sat up helped by Chaeryeong but it was so painful. I had likely broken a rib. Correction. I had definitely broken a rib or two. Chaeryeong helped me get on my feet and I felt so weak. Like a paper doll. But at the same time, I felt so heavy like my knees couldn't support the rest of me anymore.

The sliding glass door slammed open violently. I felt a wet substance on my cheek. Was I crying?

That's when I heard the sound of a loaded gun. Chaeryeong instantly gripped my arm.

"DAD STOP. They...are my...fr...friends," Lia cried out.

" Friends or not. This is a private property. GET THE HELL OUT,"

"Robert, stop!" Lia's mom put her hand on the gun, making him put it down.

Chaeryeong relaxed beside me and took off her hand. My vision came back completely and I kind of wished it hadn't because Lia looked skinnier and paler than when I last saw her. She looked like she had a tough time and that broke everything inside me. What were they doing to her?

" Lia," I came forward but her mom did too and I stopped when I saw her hateful expression. She was so scary.

" Don't you dare say her name, you filthy..."

"MOM,"  Lia sobbed.

Her mom ignored her and turned to us " Chaeryeong dear, I don't know why you're here with her,"  she sent me a glare  "but I hope it was to stop her, right? "

Chaeryeong shifted.

"No, ma'am. I...I was worried about Lia too,"

Disappointed appeared on Lia's mom face  "You knew about them?" she let out scandalized.

Oh, fuck. She knew. She discovered about us. I became fizzy again. No wonder why Lia got locked up.

" I...I just discovered it today actually,"

Lia's mom stared at her daughter then at me. My eyes darted to the ground. My jaw clenched. I should have expected this situation sooner or later. I knew the risks but it still hurt that the worse happened.

"Chaeryeong, you're a good girl. Don't get yourself influenced by people like that,"

" Mom, please," Lia begged but her mom raised her hand to shut her up.

"I discovered your secrets," she looked at me disgusted  "That's why Lia wasn't at school, she can't go on like that. We agreed..." she took her husband's hand.  "...that she needs proper help.."

"NO!"  I screamed, knowing exactly what she meant by that. "You can't....please don't."

" SHUT UP!" Lia's father spatted.

I sobbed. I tried to wipe the tears but when I looked at my hands they were mixed with blood. My eyes widened. I might really have a concussion. I looked up at Lia, my tears kept falling.

It was always going to end up like this, isn't it? Even if we love each other something or someone would have separated us. I always promised myself that I wouldn't take Lia down with me but now, they wanted her to go through the most horrible thing. I couldn't let them destroy Lia from the inside even if that meant that I'll lose her a second time.

"Don't do that to her," I pleaded. " I...I'll leave. Lia will not see me again, I promise. Just...don't do that."

"Do you think we can trust you?" her father scoffed.

"The girls will make sure of it and I'll leave town,"

Chaeryeong looked at me, tears started to roll down her cheeks too.

" No...no," Lia muttered, sobbing once again.

My heart was hurting so bad.

In this situation, either way, we'll be the ones who suffered. I hoped it would hurt less for Lia now. She was better without me. Nonetheless, I wasn't regretting the time we had passed together even if was hurting more now. I loved her. I always will.

"I'm so...sorry, Lia ."

" No...no...no," she tried to come forward but her mother took hold of her.

"NOW GET THE HELL AWAY," her father spatted before leading his wife and daughter inside the house but Lia fought back. They had to drag her inside. They struggled as she screamed. Chaeryeong took my arm.

" Let's go,"  she whispered, leading me away.

My feet moved without my head even following what was happening. All I could hear were Lia's desperate protest. The door closed and her screams became muffled.

I was moving like a zombie not even really knowing I was moving. My eyes only remembered Lia's face. I was transported back to the treehouse. Lia waltzing in my arms to the funky music emitted by her phone. Her smile entrancing me. Her laugh filling my ears.

'I hope that when we get old, we'll still dance like this'

I laughed. We laughed. We stopped dancing.

" Yeji! Yeji?"

"Holy fucking shit,"

The car's doors slammed shut. Ningning and Yuna ran toward us, Ryujin stayed by the car looking shocked.

" Yeji?"

I turned toward Chaeryeong who seemed concerned.

'I love you, Yeji Hwang'

I love you too, Julia Choi.

My vision turned to black. I couldn't feel my body.

Everything stopped.