After moving into his new dorm, Sunoo feels like he can finally live his life.
Being away from his parents gave him the chance to make new friends and also get close with his roommate, Niki.
In a world where they are forced to believe that being i...
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Recommended song to listen to while reading - Milk of the siren by Melanie Martinez
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For the rest of the day, I stayed mostly with Jungwon and Jake, Jay Hyung, Sunghoon Hyung and Heeseng Hyung also joining later on.
I didn't see Niki at all until after lunchtime when he finally showed up in the garden where we were waiting for him.
I immediately got up and went to him, asking how everything went. But, mostly, I just wanted to be close to him.
"Everything went fine. He is more than happy to help. He said that he will create an opportunity tomorrow and, for now, we should just wait. He will call when he finishes the job." The others nodded and I could feel my anxiety rising with every second that passed.
It felt like time was moving 10x slower than usually.
I was able to avoid my parents that whole day with the help of my friends and boyfriend. Even though, with them around I felt like I could face them. Still, with difficulty. But I still felt proud of myself. I just wished that I could feel that confident when they were in front of me. But I guess my body is used to activating mode 'Flight' rather than 'Fight' with them. I tried not to overthink it too much though. For the past few days, I let my thoughts get the best of me and I was desperately trying to snap myself out of it.
It was the next day and all of us were on the edge, our patience running out, waiting for Niki's phone to light up with a specific call.
The moment we finished classes, we were ready to go and hang out for a while, trying to ease our nerves and distract ourselves. That's when Niki's phone started ringing and we all gathered around it, him immediately picking up and putting the call on speaker.
"Okay, I got the footage. And I also found something that you might be interested in checking out. Let's meet at the park next to the dorms in 10." He said and Niki's agreed. "Also, bring your friends. I think you should all see the video." Before anyone could say anything else, he hung up.
We all started speed walking to the location, having no patience left.
What else did that guy find that was so important that we all had to see it? So many questions were racing through my mind, I started feeling lightheaded. But we didn't waste another second. As soon as we got to the destination, we saw a guy in a dark blue hoodie, with a laptop case in his hands, walking towards is.
"Is that him?" I whispered to Niki as he slowly nodded.
They both shook hands once he got close and, without another word, he opened his laptop, plugged in the stick and played the video.
Everything happened so fast, even blinking felt like a waste of time.
I concentrated on the video and I felt like a heavy burden was being lifted off of me.
It was exactly what we needed. The image was clear and both mine and my parents' faces were shown. And their voices could also be heard well enough. Which meant they had no way of lying to the police. It was perfect.
"As I was downloading this file, I decided to switch angles, just in case I could find an even clearer image of their faces, but, instead, I found this." He opened another file and my mouth dropped to the floor. I didn't even know why I was so surprised because I should've expected it. It was the principal. Passing by. Right when everything happened. And, instead of helping me, he smiled and walked away, like nothing even happened.
"That bastard. I knew he hated us but I didn't think he was this low." Jay Hyung spat out.
The guy got up and handed Niki the stick.
"My job here is done." They both gave each other a nod and, pulling his hood up, he left, probably not wanting others to see him associate with us and jumping to conclusion, creating unnecessary chaos.
We all looked at each other after a few seconds. Then everyone looked at me, waiting for me to decide what to do next. This was probably the biggest decision of my life. And the answer was as clear as the day.
"So... what do we do now?" Jake asked quietly.
"Let's go to the police station." I said confidently. And so we did.
We started walking out of the park when two silhouettes showed up right at the entrance, coming towards us. Furiously, might I add.
I stopped in my track, realizing who they were... I knew I couldn't avoid them forever... but I hoped. I hoped I could get to the station before having to face my parents again. Niki took my hand in his and the others looked at me with concern.
"It's up to you if you want to confront them or not. But, remember. We are all here and we won't leave your side. They won't lay a finger on you." They all waited for my next step. Their reassurance made me realize that I didn't want to run away anymore. I had no reason to do so. I had the evidence I needed. And I had the right people around me, who were ready to stick up for me.
I started slowly walking ahead, starting to see their angry faces more and more clearly. They looked like they were ready to kill me but, I remembered Niki's words. They wouldn't let them touch me. And I trusted them fully.
Once they were only a few meters away, they picked up the pace even more and I could see my dad ready to grab me and yank me away from the group.
Every single bad memory came back, of everything they used to do to me, the trauma they've caused me; the constant beatings, the forced praying, the emotional torture. Every single thing. I felt exposed.
But those thoughts came to a halt once I saw Niki coming right in front of me as a shield and the others also stepping closer to me in order to protect me from all sides.
"Move the fuck out of my way f*aggot! Before I make you regret it!" My so-called father screamed at Niki who didn't budge one inch. In fact, none of them did. And I did the same. I knew that that's what they wanted. A reaction. A moment of weakness. I couldn't afford to let them get to me. Because I knew for a fact that they wouldn't be able to get through Niki and my friends. They were a lot stronger than that. Which also gave me strength.
