Unrequited Love | MYG ✅

Chapter Thirty One

Hobi and Yoongi are quietly talking near me, and when I stand up, they both look up at me. "Are you leaving?" Hobi inquires.

"No, I just have to use the ladies' room. Does anybody need anything while I'm up?" There are no requests, so I make my way over to the facilities. I wash up when I'm done and start heading back to the tent when I hear my name.

"Lily, that was quite some show you put on!"

I turn, and Minjun is sauntering towards me. My heart starts pounding, feeling wholly caught off guard. I notice he clutches a beer in his hand, and his crooked steps indicate his lack of soberness. I wonder how much he has had to drink.

"Um, wow, Minjun, I wasn't expecting to see you here," I say as he clumsily approaches.

"One of my friends I've produced some tracks for performed tonight, so I came along. I had heard a rumor that you work for Ha-Kun sometimes."

I note quickly that his words sound a bit slurred, and somewhere inside me, the familiar alarm bells are going off. It is not lost on me that Minjun always seems to be finding things out about me, like my address or my extracurricular activities.

"Is this why you never seem to show interest in me, because you are out doing things like this?"

"Um, wha..what? This is just something I do once a year as a favor."

He stops just inches from my face, smelling of liquor and sweat. I start to step backwards to put space between us, but before I can, he snatches my wrist, squeezing my leather cuff aggressively. I can feel the leather digging into my skin as the air escapes my lungs.

The skin on my wrist begins to burn as he twists the leather viciously. I feel the panic rising through me, as the situation escalates quickly, leaving me feeling completely triggered. Suddenly I am whisked away into memories of my mother coming home drunk. I can hear her screaming, hurling curse words and insults at me while blaming me for my father leaving. Snapshots of my mother punishing me with her fists wash over me, and my brain starts screaming for me to get out of this situation with Minjun.

"Minjun, what are you doing? You're hurting me, and you need to let go," I say sternly, trying to snap him out of whatever sadistic thought process is driving this crazy, drunken behavior.

"You have been ignoring my advances for weeks on end, but you will go up on stage dressed like a whore and tease both the men and the women? What kind of bitch are you?"

My body is shaking uncontrollably, trying to talk to him isn't working, and I know I'm in danger of a worse fate. Hands trembling, my adrenaline goes into hyperdrive, and before I can think, I swing my knee up with all my might and nail him in the groin with as much force as I can muster. Minjun's hand jerks, and he releases me as he crumbles into a pile on the ground, his beer spilling all over.

The tears begin to well up in my eyes as the memories of my childhood collide with this desperate situation. It is all too much! My knees feel like they are going to give out and I start to stumble backward a bit when I feel a pair of arms envelop me, pulling me in. I'm still in shock as I hear Tae's voice echoing in my ears.

"Lily, you are okay! You are okay. We've got you."

I put my head in his chest and try not to let the tears escape, but I can feel my body starting to give up the battle.

"If you ever lay a hand on her again, it will be the last thing you ever do!" I hear Yoongi's voice declare. It is low and steady, audible only to the four of us. I've never heard him sound so authoritative before, and it is completely intimidating.

"She's an American whore, Yoongi! Jesus, look at her. Why the fuck do you guys fawn over her so much?"

"You're a piece of shit, and you can kiss your job goodbye," he replies matter-of-factly.

Having been informed by a staff member that an incident was occurring, Ha-Kun comes running over with two huge bouncers to help diffuse the situation.

"Alright, you're out of here. Escort him out."

"Nothing but a WHORE!" Minjun screams as he's dragged away.

Ha-Kun nods at Tae, who still lets me cling to him, and Yoongi. "Thanks for taking care of her."

"We didn't; she's the one that put him on the ground," Yoongi says proudly as I feel him rub my shoulder blade for a quick moment.

"That's our, Lily." Ha-Kun replies, "If you need anything else, let me know. I don't tolerate assholes."

Ha-Kun goes back upfront to keep an eye out for any further security incidents while Tae and Yoongi walk me back to our tent. I never let go of Tae; I'm too shaken, he continues to comfort me, and I'm surprised that he is being so soft and caring.

I realize that I've always seen Tae as being the person that needs all the planets and stars to revolve around him, not in a selfish way; it just seems like the universe was designed to align that way for him, and nobody strays from the narrative. To have him selflessly caring about my wellbeing is a total surprise, and I'm so grateful I get to be the recipient of it at this moment because I am falling apart to the core.

When we arrive back at the tent, I stay tucked in the corner with Tae wrapped around me, and I can't help but fall apart on his shoulder. He holds me tight, letting me know I'm safe, and just lets me cry. The day's events have become too overwhelming, and I can't take it anymore.

Hobi approaches gently with some napkins to wipe the mascara and tears that are streaking down my face, and somewhere in the distance, I hear the sound of Yoongi murmuring, no doubt informing the others of what has occurred.

"I need to go home now. I'm done with today," I murmur.

"I'm going to take care of her; the rest of you can head back together," I hear a voice relay, but it's not Tae's voice; it's Jimin's, and he already has gathered my things. I feel him gently guiding me from Tae's arms into his, and without trepidation, I wrap my arms around his neck and start crying again. There is no more fight left in me.

Somewhere in the background, I hear Jae asking Jimin if he is sure he can get me home safe and JK reassuring her that I'm in good hands. Hobi tries to negotiate to be the one that gets me home safely, but Jimin shushes him.

"Not tonight, Hobi. I said I'm taking care of her."

Shortly after, Jimin deposits me into the backseat of an SUV that will bring us back to town. He pulls me tightly into his side until my body relaxes with my head resting on his shoulder. Tears still periodically slide down my cheek, and I'm grateful that he gives me some quiet time to decompress. He squeezes me tighter and lets the sound of the tires riding along the pavement lull me into a state of calmness.

Thank you.