Through the wall

XXI

Gun woke up a couple of hours later to the sound of Jimmy knocking on his bedroom door. He rushed to open it.

"How are you, Nong?" Jimmy asked gently.

"Not great. What about Jennie?"

"She's doing better. You know she worries about you a lot... It's not because she's being difficult."

"I know, Phi. But I need her to let me make my own decisions and take responsibility for them."

"That's fair, Nong. I just want you to understand that she's doing her best to deal with her fears. She's terrified of seeing you hurt or broken. You're the person she loves most in this world."

Gun lowered his head, feeling his eyes well up with tears. She was all that and more to him, too.

"You should talk to her. Jennie's waiting for you downstairs in the garden."

Gun went down the stairs with Jimmy, who decided to stay in the living room and watch TV to give them privacy. When Gun stepped into the garden, he saw his sister sitting there, her face swollen from crying so much. Guilt washed over him again, but he knew he couldn't let it make him back down. He walked over and stood in front of her.

"Jennie... I... I'm really sorry."

She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his, and interrupted him.

"Sorry? So you're not going to see him anymore?"

"I'm sorry for hiding my relationship with Off from you, but no, I'm not going to stop seeing him. I love him. He takes care of me and makes me happy. I hope you can respect my decision and the person I've chosen to be with."

Jennie didn't say a word, but tears began streaming down her face again. After a moment, she started speaking.

"I just don't understand how all this happened right in front of me, and I didn't notice. That man's manipulated you, fooled you, and now you're turning against me...!"

Gun was tired of his sister being so unfair to Off. He didn't want to be too harsh, knowing her concerns came from a place of love, but he also needed to stand up for him. After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, he decided it was time to tell her the full truth.

He sat down on the grass in front of her and took her hands in his.

"Jennie, there's a lot you don't know, and I need to tell you everything. I hope you can forgive me for keeping it from you, but you must hear the truth. I want you to understand who Off really is—straight from me, the person who lived through it, not from a bunch of people who love to gossip."

"And you don't think it's strange that EVERYONE says the same thing?"

"Please, just listen to me. I'll tell you everything that's happened. All I ask is that you hear me out until the end."

And so, Gun told her everything: what had happened with Sing, how Off had found him a lawyer, how he had supported and cared for him throughout the ordeal. Everything.

When he finished, Jennie sat there, frozen. She stared at him, speechless.

"That's it, Jennie. That's everything."

"I can't believe all of that happened without me knowing... I'd noticed something was going on with you for a while, but I thought it was just a crush on someone who didn't feel the same way. Now it turns out you were assaulted by a lunatic, and you're dating the neighbour..." She paused as if carefully choosing her next words. "I don't get it, Piglet. When did we grow so distant? I'm not trying to play the victim or anything, but why couldn't you trust me enough to tell me all this sooner?"