Beautifully Mended

12. Breathe

"Are you going to start taking your time at this school more seriously now that the headmaster let you stay?" Soo-Ri says walking into her brothers room. He looks from the phone in his hands then towards her.

"Your not mad at me anymore?"

"I was never really mad but Yeop Jeong told me I should try to run you off. I really didn't want to" Soo-Ri says and sits on the bed beside him.

"I guess I'll take being here more seriously then" He says and smiles then looks back down at his phone. "Have you talked to Shi Woo today?"

"I talked to him as he was leaving. Didn't look like he was planning to come back though" Soo-Ri says and looks at the empty bed with blankets folded on it. A silence fills the room for a moment and Soo-Ri lays her head against her brothers shoulder. "Don't be too upset Chi Ang or I might start to think you have a heart"

"I just- I'm just mad he left without letting me say goodbye" He says and Soo-Ri smiles.

"Fine I'll believe you" She says and stands up. "I need to go practice"

"I thought we didn't have any classes today"

"We don't but I don't only practice during classes. Most of my free time is spent practicing. Let me guess your going to sit in here and be sad all day" Chi Ang just rolls his eyes and looks at his phone. Soo-Ri nods and walks out of the room and towards the gym. However on her way there she's pulled into one of the rooms. She puts her arms up to fight but sees it's just Minjae. "You can't scare me like that" She says slapping his chest.

"What did you do?" He asks sharply catching Soo-Ri off guard. Most of the time until now his tone was always relaxed. Soo-Ri isn't sure how to respond and he seems to take notice. "What did you say to your father yesterday?"

"I just reminded him I'm not under his thumb anymore" Soo-Ri says and Minjae grabs the front of her shirt with both of his hands and slams her against the wall.

"Never speak like that to him again. You're making problems for me now. You are under your fathers thumb. We all are until he decides otherwise"

"Not anymore" Soo-Ri says and Minjae pulls her away from the wall before slamming her back against the wall harder this time.

"If you need a reminder I'm sure that can be arranged" He says just before theres a knock on the door. "What!" He yells out and the door opens as Minjae lets go of Soo-Ri shirt.

"It's time. Everything else is ready. They should be going to the Armory soon" Choi Ho says walking in. "Soo-Ri your here too. Good we're just waiting on you guys"

Soo-Ri looks at Minjae before pushing past him and to Choi Ho.

"Don't forget what I said" Minjae says and Soo-Ri nods. The three walk together towards the Armory quietly. The same thing that every new student has to go through. Soo-Ri always wondered where this tradition came from but she heard it's been done by students at the school for a very long time. Everyone stands around or leans against the railing waiting for Chi Ang to show up. She stays a bit behind everyone else and waits. She notices two people jump down and knows its time. She can't help but want her brother to fail the test. Walk away and leave the school. Maybe whatever it is her father wants she can get it quicker without her brother around and less people that need to be involved. As much as she wants him around she wants to be away from her father more. She listens to them talk but not very carefully. Just for the tone of their voices. Finally she walks to the railing with everyone else in time to see her brother and Shi Woo take a sword from the guys. Everyone begins their celebration and Soo-Ri just grabs some alcohol from someone else and begins to drink. She begins to drink away the stress of the last few years. Every time they do this that's exactly what she does. Everyone parties sure but she uses this time to drink away everything she's had to deal with.

"You okay?" Shannon asks her as everyone else is partying.

"Yeah. I'm actually going to go to bed early for this one" Soo-Ri says and runs her fingers through her hair before finishing the cup in her hands. "Just not as fun this year. You guys have fun though" Soo-Ri says. She throws her cup in the trash and instead of walking to her dorm walks outside. She just starts walking for a while not really minding the direction she's walking. She walks for bit just thinking letting the cool night air surround her.

"You decided to leave the party early for once?" Minjae says and Soo-Ri looks at him. Grinning to ear from ear with red cheeks. Drunk.

"This year I'm not really in the mood to party" Soo-Ri grumbles and he walks closer to her. "Why are you out here?" She asks him and doesn't really pay attention to the fact that he's walking closer. She notices but just doesn't care. She walks towards the small area of water close by. The water looks very clean and clear.

"Your so annoying" Minjae grumbles. Before Soo-Ri can react he grabs the back of her head by her hair tangling his fingers into her hair and pushes her to the ground. He holds her face under the water as she struggles. She scratches his hands and arms as he keeps her held there under the water. "Now listen up. It would be easier than you think to kill you here and now and your dad might thank me for it even but I have a job to do and I need your help to get it done. Your the only person that everyone in this school trusts that we have on our side right now. No one at that school trusts me so if  you don't stop making trouble for me with your dad I'm going to do what my father should have done years ago" Minjae tells her. He holds her under the water for a bit longer until she stops fighting as hard then he releases her. Quickly Soo-Ri shoots out of the water breathing heavily. "I will finish what my dad started if you go against us" He says and walks away leaving Soo-Ri sitting there soaked and out of breath.