Dark Skies

A mutual friend

'It's a small world, and that's not a good thing. Because everyone knows everyone, and your secrets? don't stay secret for very long.' - ellzx13

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"I've taken so many pictures since we arrived" Rihanna's smile met my eyes.

We were sitting inside a coffee shop, near the flat we had started our new life in almost two weeks ago now. It was shabby, and I had seen much nicer places in my time of being part of one of the most well known Kpop groups in South Korea, but it did the job. Rihanna loved it, and that was enough to put a smile on my face.

She held out her phone in front of me, excitedly flicking through each of the pictures she had captured. One of us laughing on the plane; one of me staring intently out of the window down on the home I was leaving, South Korea. One of us walking through the streets of Britain, my face a picture of curiosity. I had experienced major culture shock since I'd got here. Everything was so different...from the way people acted to the new foods and the frequent cups of tea. This was second nature to Rihanna, but to me it was alien.

I'd been missing home, I couldn't deny it. But here I felt free, like I didn't owe anyone anything. I could walk down the streets without having to be accompanied by a body guard or flashed by the paparazzi. I could kiss Rihanna in public without it being broadcasted over the media, rumours flying and destroying everything they touched. I rarely even got recognised by fans. I didn't have to pretend to be something I wasn't, I could really be myself, and that's what made it a little easier to fit in. 

BTS was on a hiatus. My manager had informed me that the moment I had boarded the plane to England. And I was glad in the most selfish way possible. Because I knew that I wasn't going back to that life any time soon, and Yoongi had different plans too. Plans that I couldn't begin to fathom.

I did feel sorry for the rest of BTS, and I missed them like I missed my own family. Because we were a family and no one could ever take that away from us. But life had a funny way of tearing things apart and breaking people. I just hoped I could repair the damage one day.

"I have more" Rihanna scrolled through her camera roll, and my eyes kept trailed on the screen. She didn't have many pictures, but the ones she did have obviously meant a lot to her because of the way her eyes lit up as she saw each one.

"Okay" I said softly, placing one hand over hers on the table.

Suddenly, Rihanna stopped. Her breath hitched in her throat as one picture came to a standstill. It sat there on her phone, glaring at me like a sore thumb. As my eyes focused, a feeling of dread tightened my chest and my body felt numb. It couldn't be...It couldn't be him.

My mouth began to feel dry, my breathing staggered. The walls felt closer and I felt claustrophobic, struggling to even question why he would be on her phone.

"Who-who is that?" the words tumbled from my mouth, my hand tightening on hers.

She looked sad and lost as she stared down at the picture, of herself and a boy. He had pale blue eyes and messy hair, a lopsided smile on his face. His arm rested clumsily on her shoulder, the tips of his fingers brushing the end of her long, dark hair. Rihanna looked so young and beautiful in the picture, it took my breath away.

"That is..." she paused for a second too long, closing her eyes.

"I'm sorry" a loud sob escaped her as the fell forwards into her hands, shoulders shaking and eyes damp with tears. I froze in shock, trying to process what had just happened, before reaching over the table to rest my hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay" my voice shook, "you don't have to tell me."

"No I will" she sniffled, bringing her hand up to wipe away her tears.

I pushed her hand away, and placed my finger to her soft cheeks. The tears stained them, but I brushed each one away with ease, trying to push away my own despair and worry to comfort the girl I loved. But I needed to know.

Even though I already knew, I needed confirmation and answers as to how the hell Rihanna knew this boy. I was impatient and I wanted to push her to tell me, but it was clear that this memory she shared with him hurt her, and I didn't want to make things worse. Despite the fact that the dull ache in my body was growing by the second, grasping every inch of my body in an unbearable hold.

"He was the first real friend I made in Korea," she began, eyes still pools of sorrow, "and hell was I glad to have him as a friend." she trailed off for a minute, not once meeting my eyes. "His name was Young Suk and we clicked almost instantly. There was never anything more than friendship between us, he was like my soulmate but- not like that. It's hard to explain..." she shook her head slightly.

It was as if everything she spoke formed another crack in my heart, and another wave of guilt to rush through me. Everything she was saying I already knew, except I knew more than even she did. The one thing I didn't know though, was that she knew Young Suk. And that fact changed everything. 

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