Serendipity

8 : NEHA & YOOSIN

"Neha-ya" Sunghoon ran towards me. "Can you wait for me? I forgot something upstairs."

"I need something in return," I tease him. 

"Humh," he pouts and does an aegyo. 

"Cute! Ok I'll wait," I say and watch him run upstairs. 

"Hey Neha," a voice beside me says. I turn. Kim Taemin. He has been trying to flirt with me ever since we first met in a coffee shop. 

"Hi Taemin," I say and smile. 

He suddenly takes my hands in his. "Will come with me somewhere?" he asks. 

"Where?" I ask. 

"It's a surprise," he leans in and our foreheads meet. I move back. 

"But I'm waiting here for Sunghoon," I say. "We take him along."

"You see Sunghoon everyday. Please. Just you and me. I promise to take you back home."

"But I-"

"I'm not taking a no for answer," he holds my wrist and takes me to his car. 

He opens the door for me. As we ride, we talk about school.

Suddenly, my phone rings. "Who's it?" Taemin asks with his voice filled with annoyance.

"It's Yoosin," I say and decline the call. That makes Taemin grin. I smile back. 

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YOOSIN's POV

"Why is she not picking up?" I say to myself. I dial again. She declines.  

I dial Sunghoon's number. "Sunghoon-ah? Is Neha with you?"

"She was. But not now. I saw her leave with Taemin," Sunghoon says on the other end. 

Taemin. The name makes anger boil inside me. He must have taken her somewhere. But what hurts me is that she agreed to go with him. 

I grab my mom's car keys and leave my house. 

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NEHA's POV

"We are here," Taemin pulls me inside. We are in a pub. The music is blasting through the speaker, people dancing and drinking. Taemin takes me to a corner. I spot Jaehi and her friends along with few other boys. 

"Look who's here!" Jaehi sneers. Her friends giggle. My face steams with shame. "Neha, I didn't know you drink."

"Taemin," I pull his hand. "I cannot be here. I am leaving."

"Hey, chill ok?" he pushes me onto a seat. "Have drink and party with us."

"Give her this," one of the boys passes a plush bunny hat. Taemin puts it on me. The other laugh and snaps pictures of me. 

"You look cute, Neha," Taemin bends before me. He leans in. He is way too close to me. 

"Taemin, please, I want to leave," I say. 

"Sssh, I told you. I will take you home, safe and sound," he leans in to kiss. Tears wait in my eyes to fall. I close my eyes as if everything will stop if I do. But Taemin's lips never reaches me. I open my eyes. 

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YOOSIN's POV

"Taemin, stop!" I pull him away from her. My hands grab his collar. 

Neha gets up and moves behind me. 

"Yoosin, go away," Taemin yelled. "She came with me. She agreed to come with me." 

I push him to the table. Bottles and cups fall off. 

"Yoosin stop, please," Neha pleads. "Please Yoosin."

I let go of him. Taemin pushes me off. I grab Neha's wrist and head to the exit. I don't stop walking till we reach the car. 

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NEHA's POV

I let the tears flow as we ride in the car. Yoosin doesn't speak. 

He finally speaks when we reach my apartment. "Why didn't you leave?"

"I don't know," I manage between my sobs. "I didn't know."

Yoosin takes my face in his hands and turn him towards me. "Hey, it's okay," he whispers. "you're going to be fine."

"Yoosin, they took pictures of me."

"We are not going to leave you just because of some stupid pictures ok?"

I nod. I rub my eyes and get out of the car. "Goodbye," I say. 

"Bye Neha," he says. I walk to the door. 

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YOOSIN's POV

After she disappears behind the door, I cry. I slam my fist to the steering wheel. I hate Taemin so much. He went too far. 

I look again at Neha's window. I need to open up to her, I think. I need to tell her how I feel. I cannot let anyone hurt her.