ALL BARK NO BITE | SADISTIC BEAUTY SPINOFF

Chapter 30

6 YEARS AGO

HOURS AFTER THE KISS

~ 102-3, Yujin Apartments, Sanggye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul

Minho crumpled down on the floor when he returned home, reeling from what had happened in the Club room. How could he lose control of himself like this... How could he... How could they... kiss... it felt so wrong and yet... he felt a little warmer in his cold apartment. He wrapped his hands around his midsection and buried his chin into his chest to take a sniff.

He could still feel Wookyung's arms holding him up as his knees buckled, the citrusy scent of his perfume rubbing off on the front of his jacket. They were so close... their faces... their lips. He felt a giddy rush like no other. He wasn't ashamed but rather overjoyed, even in those moments that he blindly leaned forward to kiss him, he was certain that he was doing the right thing. It had to be right.

Why else would it feel so... good.

The way he tasted, 'You deserve a chance' he kept hearing Wookyung's voice in his head 'to be loved'. No one had ever said those words to him in that order before. When he was looking into his eyes, he felt less alone and like someone saw through him and who he was and for it still... liked him. He felt stronger... like he could do anything he set his heart on. Even write. Even fall in love.

After what happened between him and Wookyung in the club room, he was brave enough to confront himself... he understood what he had to hold onto and what he needed to let go of.

*

Early afternoon, after Wookyung had left the room, Duna immediately turned her attention towards him, barrelling forward and striking his face "What were you 2 doing?" she fumed, her face contorted horribly. "I-" Minho started but Duna hit him again. "WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU TWO DOING?" she howled, making him shudder because of her sheer volume.

She geared up to hit him again but Minho tried to discourage her "We weren't doing anything, please..." he said but it only made it worse. "Look at your fucking face, blushing like a girl getting her first flowers. Is that what it is?" she mocked him "Is that it? Do you want to play at being a girl now? Getting flowers and kisses from boys? Now I know why you weren't interested in me..."

"Please leave me alone" Minho said softly but firmly, he was sick and tired of her. "Now you want me to go away huh? So you can easily avoid all those things you did to me? Why weren't you clear from the beginning?? THAT YOU CAN'T LIKE ME BECAUSE YOU ONLY FUCK MEN!" she screamed. Minho finally broke, hitting her across the face. Duna gasped, falling to the floor in an unsteady pile.

Looking stunned, she put a hand to her face and slowly looked up at him "How dare you raise a hand on me...". Minho steeled himself, he couldn't cry in front of her "I asked you... to leave me alone" his voice was shaking. "Whatever I do, whatever I write, whatever I do with anyone and anywhere... it's none of your business..." his voice cracked and he felt tears at the brim of his eye.

Duna looked affected for a second, as if she realised she went too far but her face quickly returned to its old offensive. "What we had... I regret it" Minho tried to speak without stuttering "But I don't want to hate you for it... that it was okay to have known each other for a while and realise that it was not the best for us". "I never agreed that we weren't good for each other" Duna scowled and Minho shook his head.

"Don't you get it..." he was tired of explaining himself to her "I was NEVER in love with you" a tear fell from his eye despite himself "I tried to be better for someone as amazing as you and thought that I'm not like you is why I can't seem to like you but now..." he dared to look into her eye. "I know who I am... what I want... and I'm sorry if that upsets you". Suddenly the door clicked and several more members of the club walked in.