Help || Hwang Hyunjin

TWENTY ONE

"Who? A hooligan?" he joked but the bitter truth was that he was not wrong...

"Yes," my voice got louder. It took a lot to control my tears. I felt like I was going to burst out. It was much more than just scary to have someone abusing animals and killing a woman, right on your tail.

"For heaven's sake, Eunmi," Hyunjin seemed to panic a little and I was confused.

"What?"

"Do you even see the news?"

I shook my head. I was not that up to date with the current affairs only because I was not that fond of reading the news paper or seeing the new channels.

"You should. You'd know a lot if you did. Did you come by this street yesterday or the day before?"

I shook my head again.

"Apparently, the place was blocked because of this ongoing investigation. A woman was murdered."

"Fuck," that just came out of my mouth and Hyunjin was obviously surprised.

"Hyunjin, if I tell you something, promise me that you will neither tell this to anyone nor will you try to help me, hmm?" I asked taking his hand in mine, so that he understood how strongly I wanted to keep this confidential.

He nodded to that, his face looking like it was somewhat ready for whatever had to come next.

And like that I explained everything. I explained everything from the time when the guy first pinned me to the wall to the numerous horrifying pictures of dead or injured animals that he had sent me, while I showed the evidence on my phone to him too. He was probably more disturbed than me for he had a stronger bond with animals, considering the fact that he lived with one himself.

"Now again, Hyunjin, this is confidential, okay? Please, I shouldn't even be saying any of this to you. This time, I am walking on eggshells... And... about Kkami... be careful, yeah? This guy seems pretty extreme. Even if your guard is up, you never know what's going to happen..."

He was panicking a lot harder now. 

"Eunmi," he whined, "why do yo always get stuck in situations like this?"

Trust me boy, I ask myself the same thing again and again but I still haven't got a solid answer. It was a nameless struggle in my opinion.

---

We headed to the cafe. Now that I worked at the same place as him, I found one extra reason to be happy amidst the chaotic happenings.

It was hard to work with him around though. That was when I thanked god for not putting Hyunjin in the same class as me. If we did happen to be in the same class, I definitely would not have been able to keep up with the title of a scholar. It takes a super human to focus in front of a sculpture like this...

When our shift was over, Hyunjin insisted that he'd come with me to the next cafe. I didn't agree immediately but in the end I had to. Though I looked like I was all frustrated by his pleading, in one corner of my mind, I knew very well that I was relieved. I just felt safe around him.

--- 

We walked together, me holding my bike, which was not being carried forward the way it ideally should, by its handles while Hyunjin was empty-handed.

"You know, when all of this shit is completely done and dusted with, we should do something fun," I suggested, averting my gaze to Hyunjin's side.

He looked a little confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... whenever we hang out, it's all about troubles and eating disorders and stress and coping up with life and... we don't really enjoy ourselves, you know?"