|| Philophobia || Baek Kyung

Chapter-18 Daddy issues (ft mommy dohwa)

"Appa," his voice comes out hoarse, like the word itself tastes bitter.

His father's face is all hard edges and cold eyes. "Pack your things. You're coming with me."

Baek Kyung doesn't move. His knuckles go white on the doorframe. "No."

The man's jaw tightens. "You think you can talk back now? I'll drag you if I have to—"

The click of metal cuts through the air. They both freeze.

Yeona is standing in the hallway, her oversized hoodie draped over one shoulder, the barrel of a rifle resting steady in her hands. Her expression is calm—almost lazy—but her eyes are locked and loaded.

"You heard him," she says, voice low, almost bored. "He's not going anywhere."

Baek Kyung's father turns to her, disbelief flickering for just a second before anger floods in. "Little girl, do you know what you're—"

"I know exactly what I'm doing." Yeona tilts her head, her finger still on the trigger. "You step one inch closer, and you'll find out how serious I am."

Silence hums like a live wire between them. Finally, the man exhales sharply, lowering his voice. "You think this changes anything? This isn't over."

He backs away, slow, deliberate. His eyes stay on Baek Kyung until the very last moment before he disappears down the hall.

Baek Kyung is still frozen at the doorway, chest rising and falling like he just ran a marathon.

"Close the door," Yeona says softly.

He obeys, locking it twice for proper precautions, his hands trembling ever so slightly from the sudden encounter

The rifle is propped against the wall now, he doesn't ask where she got that from but she answers anyways, "in case I want to shoot down my own father" ,the tension drained from the air but not from Baek Kyung's shoulders. He's sitting on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor like it's the only thing holding him together.

Yeona doesn't say anything else at first. She just walks over, barefoot, and sits beside him. The room is quiet enough that he can hear the ticking of his own pulse in his ears.

When she finally moves, it's not to speak—it's to wrap her arms around him. No hesitation. No asking. Just warmth. Her head rests lightly against his shoulder.

For a second, Baek Kyung doesn't move. His body is stiff, his hands hanging in the space between them like he doesn't know where to put them. But then something in him just... cracks. He exhales—shaky, uneven—and lets himself lean into her.

He doesn't cry, but there's a rawness in his breathing that feels worse than tears.

"I hate him," he says quietly, voice almost breaking. "I hate that he thinks he can just... come back and take me like nothing happened."

Yeona's arms tighten around him. "He can't. Not while I'm here."

They stay like that for a long time. No grand promises. No dramatic declarations. Just her hand in his hair, his head against her shoulder, and the unspoken understanding that she's not letting go tonight.

When he finally lies down, she's still there—her arms loosely around him, like she's guarding him even in sleep. And maybe she is.

[The Next Day – School Gym]

The atmosphere is the complete opposite of last night. The gym is loud, chaotic—students yelling, sneakers squeaking against the polished floor. A hastily organized basketball match between the boys and girls' teams has turned into a full-on battle.

"You're going down, Baek Kyung!" Yeona shouts across the court, already bouncing the ball.

Baek Kyung smirks, jogging backwards in defense. "In your dreams."

Dan Oh is laughing from the sidelines, Dohwa blowing the whistle like he's the referee of the century. Even Nam Ju's gotten into it, though he keeps looking at his reflection in the shiny floor between plays.

The game is fast. Yeona's dribbling like a menace, slipping past Baek Kyung and Ren, passing to Dan Oh. But the boys aren't making it easy—Baek Kyung steals the ball more than once, grinning every time like it's personal.

The banter is relentless.

"You play like an old man!" Yeona teases.

"At least I'm winning," Baek Kyung shoots back, dodging her defense.

They're so caught up in the competition that no one notices the collision coming until it happens.

Baek Kyung goes for the basket, Yeona lunges to block him, and bam—their heads clash hard enough to echo. The ball bounces away.

Yeona stumbles back, hand flying to her face. "Ow—" Blood is already trickling from her nose.

Baek Kyung's lip is split, crimson at the corner of his mouth. He looks at her, wide-eyed. "Are you—?"

"I'm fine," she says through gritted teeth, though her nose says otherwise.

"Fine? You're bleeding!" He drops the ball immediately, pulling a crumpled tissue from his pocket and pressing it to her face.

She snorts—painfully. "Wow. And now you're a nurse too?"

"Shut up," he mutters, but there's no heat in it. His hands are steady, even if his eyes are still darting over her face like he's checking for more damage.

From the sidelines, Dohwa yells, "That's it, game over! We can't have half the players bleeding to death."

Yeona laughs, muffled by the tissue. Baek Kyung shakes his head, but he's smiling too—small, reluctant, but real.

"Mr Baek kyung, Ms Hwang Yeona report in the principal's office right now"

A voice from the speaker boomed as the duo looked at each other with a baffled expression. They should have guessed what would happen next

HELLO LOVELY READERS (rather few of you by now, i'm aware) I made a discord server for all the fellow readers and writers who want story prompts, occasional pdfs, free advice from multiple people and a place where they can curse their least fav characters, I also plan to help proof read any person's poem or story if they ask to, there will be monthly activities and loads of fun. 

Love writing? Love magic? Love chaos with a dash of literary flair? Come join Aurelia Society, where pens are wands and every story is a spell. We share wild writing prompts, peer feedback, monthly challenges, and collaborative mini-zines. Whether you scribble by moonlight, plot in your notebook, or just dream of casting literary spells, you belong here.

Come for the stories. Stay for the chaos. Leave with your ideas shining brighter than ever. For the quiet writers and the loud readers, this discord is managed by a teen and thus, even if you just want to talk. We can do it together <3 So if you are up for a leap of faith, Welcome to The Aurelia Society

https://discord.gg/NNeZJeVS or just search The Aurelia Society