home ∣ jinsoo

chapter 7

J I S O O P O V

the first time in a long time, the house was quiet when i arrived home. i figured my parents were asleep (assuming mom was home by now) and i parked my car out front and headed straight to my room to change out of my work attire.

lifting my jumper over my head i managed to catch a glimpse of the time from my alarm clock on the nightstand, it was 3:36 am. after comforting jin, walking back to school to collect my car and driving home, i realize school was already about to start within a few hours. i take the chance to shower, make breakfast, change into my school uniform and apply makeup. the bruises on my face were way too conspicuous to go bare faced anywhere out of the house. after finishing up, i was ready to leave, i just needed to retrieve my hoodie in my room.

entering the bedroom, i find my mom lying on the bed waiting for me, her usual natural makeup smudged from tears and what seemed like her efforts to wipe them away. for a few seconds i panicked from the fear of getting hit again either from waking her up or supposedly snitching earlier to dad but then i noticed her scraped knees, speckled bruises around her neck and reddened wrist that looked as if she was forced or tied down. her cheeks that once held a natural pink hue to them were now purple and unusually swollen.

"jisoo." she called out with croaky voice.
"yes?" i ask and gulp unintentionally.
"i thought i told you to keep quiet." her voice remains a whisper, "look at what he's done to me? you're not the only one that has it so tough." she raises her arms and pulls up her shirt to reveal similar scars to mine on her back. for once i witness my mom so vulnerable, for once i forget that she hurts me and for once i feel sorry for her.

"dad did this?" i ask despite already knowing the answer and she pitifully nods. i run to her side and clasp her hands together with mine,
"mom, we can run away from dad, we can be like a normal family." i begin to feel hopeful until my mom snatches her hands away and the look in her eyes darken.

"no, it's your fault i'm like this. raped and beaten by your father. you don't understand this kind of torture," she pauses and then suddenly plunges me to the floor. her slender fingers are wrapped around my neck, my oesophagus closing as her palms press down against my throat and i'm desperately clawing at her hands for her to let me go. "i hate you." she finishes and i feel my life draining away as she tightens her hold.

i continue to kick and thrash my legs all over the place hoping to grasp a breath of air my burning lungs are yearning for. my eyes begin to water but in spite of my blurred vision, i see her wicked smirk enjoying my suffering. i begin losing track of time. i don't know how long it's been since she started strangling me but just as i was about to give in, my knees dive into her back and she winces, allowing me to free myself and push her off.

i regret showing her sympathy, i should've known she didn't care for me. people don't change, i was just naive.

struggling to get up, i grab my jumper and run out of the room. hot tears burn down my cheeks and once i'm at the front door, opening it, i bump into a taller and bigger figure outside.

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S E O K J I N P O V

by the time i arrive home it was 2 o'clock in the morning. i hit the showers before jumping in bed, hoping to knock out and get some sleep but my thoughts wonder off to jisoo. there was something that just seemed so different about her after our previous conversation and i want to see her more.

maybe i should make her lunch to compensate for eating her dinner?

it sounded like a good idea but i didn't know what she liked or what to make her. eventually i decided on katsu chicken bento box. it took me a while to finish, i had spent the whole night making it but then i thought why stop there, why not walk her to and from school as well especially seeing as i am a gentleman after all.

getting ready for school i rushed towards jisoo's home whilst making sure the lunch box was safe in my bag. arriving at her front door, i was about to knock when a tormented jisoo bumps into me. losing her balance she trips over her own feet and falls backwards, closing her eyes in the process as she prepares herself to hit the floor. i inch myself closer to her side, my arms instinctively reaches towards her back and she falls in my arms.

her red tear stained face was the first thing i noticed and for the brief seconds she let me hold her, under the thick layer of her foundation, glimpses of purple and green bruises appeared on her cheeks.

my eyebrows knitted in concern towards her mass contusions whilst she jumps out of my arms and advanced further away from the front door. "j-jin? w-what are you d-doing here?"
i don't say anything and continue to observe her. she was only in the school uniform's shirt and skirt, leaving her arms and legs bare. come to think of it, i had never seen her without her jumper and leggings. what was supposed to be hidden under all her layering of clothes were revealed to be scars and bruises. my eyes widened in shock, my jaw clenched to thought of people harming or treating jisoo like anything less than she deserved.

"who did this to you?"

just in case you guys didn't know, the last gif was made by me but i took it from a video on youtube, make sure you check it out. it's called 'stand by me - blackpink x bts' by melon. just look at the way he stares at her in the end. omg! once again, thank you for reading! love you's!