SOUR

'and when the clouds won't iron out, and the monsters creep into your house,'

milli.

Sola and I are awake hours after midnight, tracking down everyone who has Mr. Young as a teacher. It turns out to be harder than I thought because he has multiple class periods, and works as a tutor on the weekends. (Meanwhile Hyunjae is wrestling Sunwoo to get up the stairs and go to bed since he's so drunk. )

"Is that everyone?" Sola asks, who's now mostly sober.

"I think so," I stretch my arms. "Send?"

Sola nods. "It's ready."

I press enter on my computer and the email sends out to all of his current students. It's a call for them to skip his class and send in complaint files until the school addresses his multiple assault cases.

"Do you think people will actually do it?" I ask.

She shrugs. "There's no harm in trying. But yeah, I think they will. And I'm glad you're putting this together."

"Me too," I say. I already start to feel like myself again. A little while ago I wanted to just leave it be, and let another file go unread. But I remembered what Kevin had said before I went to go report him. If not for you, do it for the other victims.

"Milli!" Hyunjae yells from the top of the stairs.

"Yeah?" I call up to him.

"Sunwoo wants you." He says.

"Oh boy," I stand up and I fill a glass of water before I head up the stairs. "Thanks," I say when I pass Hyunjae.

"He sure is a handful." he laughs.

I open the bedroom door and I see Sunwoo sprawled across the entire bed, taking the space all for himself.

"My Milli," Sunwoo holds his arms out. "Come sleep with me."

I put the glass of water on the table next to him and I sit on the large bed.

"I'm tired," the boy closes his eyes and pulls me towards him.

"Yeah?" I ask, touching the center of his collarbone.

"Yeah," He repeats.

"You did spend a lot of energy fighting with Hyunjae," I laugh softly.

"He's a menace."

"He likes you," I say.

"I don't like him~"

We lay in the silence of the dark room for a while and I think he's sleeping.

"Hey Sunwoo?" I ask just in case.

"Mhm?" He hums. I feel his throat vibrate against my forehead when he speaks.

"You were right. I shouldn't have given up."

"I'm always right."

"I'm serious."

Sunwoo moves the hair out of my face and takes a good look at me. "I'm proud of you."

It's not like I've never heard someone say that to me before. It's that I don't know when was the last time I heard someone really mean it. It makes my heart swell.

"And you don't know how relieved I am to see your smile again." Sunwoo touches my lips gently with his thumb. I didn't even realize I was.

__

9 a.m.

I wake up to a loud groan next to me. I open my eyes and I lift my head off of Sunwoo's chest.