"I need you to be a bit more clear, Chaeyeon,"
Mingyu demanded, not knowing what to do with the abrupt piece of information that he'd been presented with, making Chaeyeon sigh deeply. He started getting impatient, since she showed no signs of speaking any time soon. Only when she continued did Mingyu's restlessness mellow down.
"I um, I found out that- That I'm not related to my pare- Mr. and Mrs. Lee through blood-"
Mingyu gasped, and he wasn't the least bit fazed that Chaeyeon witnessed the utter shock coursing through him. But his parted lips soon pressed together in a thin line, and his look of surprise melted into a frown. What did that piece of information have anything to do with Chaeyeon's actions for the past two years?
Chaeyeon gave him a weak nod, refusing to make any eye contact. She looked pretty upset; Mingyu somewhat understood her situation, but wasn't quite able to put things in their places.
"I'd sensed something wrong since the first fake news of us dating had been published. It seemed really out of place, considering these two companies have had ties for years. And a few weeks after that, I happened to coincidentally come across records that I wasn't supposed to find out about. Adoption papers, that's what they were. After all of this, the only sensible thing I could deduce was that Da- Mr. Lee planned to send me off, in your family, through these rumours. He'd have less of a headache without me, and would end up making stronger bonds with your mother. I'm just being played with. I thought it would stop after news of you going 'missing', but the new article... You know the rest of it,"
Mingyu expected Chaeyeon to break down halfway while speaking, but her voice remained hard as steel throughout. Not a single tear slid down her cheek, but her eyes held a lot more than tears. "Where do I stand in all of this?"
Chaeyeon had an answer ready. "I felt abandoned, Mingyu. And that was the time you began to unconsciously get close with Wonwoo, I felt left out. All of a sudden, so I ended up," Chaeyeon inhaled deeply before continuing. "Sending off information to your mother and-"
"Wonwoo's parents,"
"Yeah,"
"How did that help?"
"I got what I wanted. Well, partially. Wonwoo ran away, you got shipped to China, and I thought it would drive both of you apart, and maybe, just maybe, I'd get my friend back once you returned,"
"That didn't happen,"
"Yeah. It made me divert all my anger towards Wonwoo,"
That made Mingyu halt in his seat. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.
"Just little threats, here and there,"
"Little?"
"That was nothing compared to what all I did to both of you. I'm sorry,"
Mingyu banged a light fist on the table. "I hope you know a simple 'sorry' is nowhere near capable of fixing shit you've done. I still don't understand all of it, but I can't since I've never been in your shoes,"
"It's better if you don't. It would fuck with your mind,"
"Other things already do,"
Mingyu took his time taking in and processing all the information that had been laid out bare in front of him. People were really lunatics, weren't they? Never had Mingyu imagined money-making to go to such lengths. And where did people like him and Chaeyeon – students trying to keep up with the system – lie amidst all of it? Did their lives get twisted just because of power hungry people like the Lees?
Mingyu glanced up at Chaeyeon, who was deep in thought. She looked... miserable, if Mingyu could simply put it. "I understand where you're coming from, but what you did was sick behaviour, Chaeyeon,"
"I know,"
"So where does all this lead us to?"
Chaeyeon shrugged. "I guessed you'd want to warn your mother first, Mingyu. Tell her not to involve herself with him anymore. You never know how and when he'd turn on her,"
"I can't do that uh- As easily right now, because-"
"You left,"
"Great spying skills you have there," Mingyu spat, still not over the fact that Chaeyeon had personally stalked him and Wonwoo to put them both through so much.
"I'm not proud of them,"
"As you should. You know I could get a restraining order against you, right?"
"Yeah,"
"I'd appreciate it if you could just stay away, instead of putting me through the troubles of actually getting you a restraining order,"
"I was planning to,"
"That would be great,"
--
Wednesday evening – Mingyu clocked in for his second day at work. He was sure he would be able to work in a much clearer state of mind, since most things had been revealed to him this morning.
Peacefully going about doing the dishes this evening, the result of slacking off yesterday, Mingyu wondered about what he should be doing, going forward. Like Chaeyeon had suggested, telling his mother would be his best bet at the moment. The idea of keeping the rumours going didn't sit well with either him or Chaeyeon.
"Kim!" a voice interrupted Mingyu's rhythmic scrubbing of a pitcher. Three heads in the kitchen turned at the mention, including his own. "The new one, get back to work both of you!"
Mingyu emptied his hands in the sink, peeled his gloves off and walked to the manager who'd called for him. "Yes?" he inquired.
"There's someone here to see you. Make it quick,"
"Okay," Flashing him a thumbs-up, Mingyu ran to the front of the café, hoping somewhere inside it was Wonwoo who had come to see him. Much to his disappointment, it was Chaeyeon solemnly standing there instead.
"I thought we agreed you'd stop being a creep," Mingyu stated, making sure to show no traces of emotion on his face.
"I found this out before you told me to stop, so here I am. We need to talk,"
"We've talked enough for the day,"
"It's about your mother, Mingyu,"
Mingyu's ears suddenly seemed interested at the mention of his mother – something that had never happened before.
"We should go see her after your shift. The earlier, the better,"
Mingyu scoffed. "You think she'd let me speak, just like that? After I've run away?"
"No, but she would let me speak,"
"You're coming along?"
"Yes. I have to. There's no way you'd be able to explain all of it,"
"Right,"
"I'll be here till ten. Be quick,"
"Why do you even know when my shift ends!?"
Chaeyeon waved him off, and Mingyu complied, rushing back to the kitchen right away.
After his shift ended, he found himself standing next to Chaeyeon – clad in a sunhat and mask amidst the shining streetlights, at ten at night – waiting for a cab to arrive. He dreaded what approached, but he knew – the more he delayed it, the worse the situation would get.
