Rich Boy (Minsung)

19.

Jisungs POV

I look in the bathroom mirror. The scars have started to fade, but I don't think they ever truly will. I look at my arm, at the words engraved into my skin forever. My cold finger traces it, feeling the broken skin beneath. It doesn't hurt anymore, at least not physically.

But I understand. It's not Yeji's fault. Not completely. She is just like my mother in that way. Sometimes, something would take control of her. She would be a different person entirely, though, this usually only happened when she was drunk or high.

But even though it's not her fault, it still hurts. And her saying sorry won't undo it or get rid of the scars. I scrunch my hand into a fist, breathing in deeply. I quickly get changed, heading out the bedroom door and down the hall.Minho had woken up and left earlier in the morning to it was just me. 

I enter his office, sitting down at the desk and opening the laptop. My new job was pretty much just looking over email, getting rid of any scam messages and going over documents he has to sign for some reason. It's much easier than the old job I had.

Hours go by. My eyes are getting tired, and my stomach is grumbling since I skipped breakfast. A knock sounds at the door.

"Come in," I say.

Yeji opens the door, stepping in and closing it gently. She shuffles over to the desk and sits in the chair across from me.

"Hi Yeji. What brings you here?" I ask, trying to sound kind but still thinking about my scars.

"I came to apologize again. I regret it so much and I know it's irreversible, I know that whatever I say won't be able to undo them or make them fade. I don't what I can do to make it up to you, if there is anything that can make up for such a horrific thing."

"It's okay. I forgive you." I interrupt her, "You don't need to keep apologizing."

She nods, looking down.

"Can I ask you one thing though?"

She looks up at me, nodding again. I take a deep breath.

"What did you mean when you said Minho 'rescued' you?" she freezes for a second and I worry whether I've said the wrong thing. She breathes out a shaky breath.

"I grew up in a not-so-great family. My parents had a gambling problem, eventually they gambled most of our possessions. One day, when I was young, my sister went missing. My parents wouldn't tell me what happened, nor did they seem sad about it." She takes another shaky breath,

"A few years later, some random men came to the house. They tried to take me away. I remember yelling to my parents to help but they just stood there and watched. When they got me in the truck, they explained that my parents had gambled me away. One of the men said that I would be joining my sister soon and had nothing to worry about."

I reached across the desk, taking her hand in mine.

"I didn't know what they were going to do, and I didn't want to find out, so I jumped out the back door. They were pretty stupid and forgot to lock it. I landed on the road pretty harshly though and had a bunch of cuts and bruises. I spent days stumbling around, trying to find my way back to my hometown since we had driven so far away. One day, I woke up to see Minho next to me. He gave me food and water and offered me this job. He was the first person to be kind to me since my sister, so I fell in love with him." She finished, a few tears escaping her eyes.

I quickly jumped up, going around the desk and pulling her up into a hug.

"It's okay. I'm sorry you had to go through all that." I rubbed her back while she cried into my shoulder. When she started to calm down, I pulled back.

"Does Ryujin know?"

She nods.

"What about Minho?"

She shakes her head,

"No. He would think I was stupid. It was a stupid reason to have a stupid crush on him."

"It's not stupid. Maybe he would understand if he knew?"

"No. I don't want him to know. Please don't tell him." She looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Okay. I won't."

The door opening alerted both of us. Minho stood at the door, glaring daggers at Yeji.

"I should go." She says quickly rushing out past him as he walks in.

"What was that about?" He asks me, walking over.

"She just wanted to apologize again, that's all." I tell him truthfully. He doesn't look convinced though.

"I still don't forgive her for what she did to you though." He says, grabbing my arm. He pulls up my sleeve, gently gliding his fingers over the scars.

"Don't look at them. They're ugly." I try to tug down my sleeve, but he stops me.

"I think they make you unique. They tell a story." He looks into my eyes, my heart.

"They tell someone else's story. Someone else's pain." I reply.

"They tell your pain too." He drops my hand, cupping my face.

"That's what makes them ugly." I answer again, a single tear rolling down my cheek. He swipes it with his thumb, bring out faces closer.

"That's what makes them special." He tells me, leaning in and connecting our lips. My heart erupts in flames of fire. His touch is a burning sensation I crave, the taste of his lips has become my addiction. My arms automatically go up to his neck, one resting there and the other on his shoulder. He stops all too soon.

"I have a secret I want to confess to you Jisung." He whispers. My heartbeat quickens.

"What is it?" I can only hope for one thing. One thing only. The feeling I have. The feeling I thought he would never have. A forbidden feeling. Something I have not been allowed to feel for my whole life.

I hoped for those words to leave his mouth. To confirm I am not alone in this feeling. Not alone in my love.