Stuck With You// Kim Seungmin

14

Seungmin pov

As Minju and I caught up, we were startled by a knock at the front door. When she opened it, we were shocked to see Jisung standing there, his face bruised and beaten.

"Jisung, what happened?" Minju sounded worried as she guided him inside.

"Nothing," he muttered, trying to brush off our concern. "It's fine, really."

But it wasn't fine, I know him. "Did someone hurt you?" I asked, trying to get him to tell us the truth.

Jisung avoided eye contact, shifting uncomfortably. "It's... it's my dad," he finally admitted, his voice barely audible. "He got angry, and... I couldn't move fast enough."

Hearing that his own father had hurt Jisung made my blood boil. "Let me take you to the hospital," I said, my voice firm.

But Jisung shook his head in fear. "No, no. I don't want to cause any more trouble."

Minju and I shared a look, knowing we had to help Jisung somehow. "We're not going to let this slide," I said, knowing we needed to take action. "We'll figure something out, but first, let's get you cleaned up."

Reluctantly, Jisung nodded. As we were talking, we heard a loud gasp from Auntie Lee. Her face filled with concern as she took one look at Jisung. Without a word, she guided him to the couch and quickly gathered supplies to clean up his wounds. "Oh, Jisung, you poor thing," she murmured as she gently cleaned his cuts.

Jisung nodded, clearly touched by her kindness. "Thank you, Mrs. Lee," he said softly. "But I should head home soon. My dad will worry if he notices I'm gone too long."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here tonight?" Auntie Lee asked, her voice laced with worry. "You shouldn't go back to that situation."

Jisung shook his head, a flicker of fear in his eyes. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't stay. My dad might come looking for me. It would just cause more trouble for you all."

Auntie Lee nodded, understanding his perspective but still clearly worried. "Well, if you have to go, at least take this with you." She walked over to Minho hyung's room and returned with one of his hoodies. "It's cold outside, and you can't just wear that t-shirt."

Jisung looked surprised at the gesture but accepted the hoodie with gratitude. "Thank you, Mrs. Lee. I'll bring it back as soon as I can."

"Don't worry about it," auntie Lee replied with a reassuring smile. "Just make sure you're safe. And remember, we're here if you need anything."

Jisung nodded, slipping on the hoodie and looking much warmer. He offered her a small smile. "Thank you for everything," he said before turning to Minju and me. "I'll see you guys later."

Minju and I stood in silence as we watched Jisung walked away from the house. Jisung was our jokester with bubbly personality. He always know how to light up the mood even in difficult situations. Seeing him suffers at the hands of his own father and we could do nothing about it was frustrating. It seemed so wrong that someone as pure-hearted as Jisung had to endure such suffering.

I put a comforting arm around Minju, trying to reassure her as much as myself. "It's hard to see him like that," I said quietly. "But he's strong. He'll get through this."

Minju nodded, but her eyes remained on the street where Jisung had just disappeared. "I wish we could do more for him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Me too," I replied. "But we can keep being there for him. He knows he can always count on us."

Minju sighed, leaning into my side. "I hope so. I just want him to be safe."