Artificial Water

Chapter 14🥀

Jongin

I took the small piece of paper that the man back at the store had given me and bit my lip while looking at the number written on it. I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was because it was just a confirmation of my own suspicions. It was stupid to act like nothing was wrong and I had been denying it for all this time. What was I thinking? I couldn't continue with this but it was harder than I thought, for a reason I didn't understand. Every time I even thought about telling Kyungsoo he needs to leave and go home my heart started aching. I was used to his company now and if he left I would be alone in my apartment again. That was all. A sigh escaped my lips as I heard the man saying Kyungsoo's name again and again in my head. What could I do?

"What's that?" Kyungsoo asked as he peeked around my bedroom door. His eyes were worn out and his lips formed a tired smile. "Can you maybe help me?"

"With?" I put the paper in my pocket again and stood up.

"I don't understand something from my homework," he replied softly. "I can't figure it out."

"I'll take a look." I flashed him a warm smile and opened the door a bit further before placing my hand on his lower back to lead him out again. In that brief moment I felt him freeze under my touch and I quickly pulled away, trying not to seem obvious about it. Kyungsoo sat down on the ground and grabbed the book that was laying open on the low table. I took a seat on the couch and leaned forward to be able to look at the page. I noticed it was maths and was relieved that I most likely could help him. I picked up the book to look at the question and then checked his work book to see what he did wrong when he had tried to solve it. I was quite surprised, not only because he tried it so often before asking for my help, but also becuse he was making his homework. The past days he had been going to school he just watched tv or cooked when we came home, I never saw him taking his books out again other than to change them. I also remembered he told me he missed some books but I never heard he got into trouble because of it or something like that.

"And?" Kyungsoo was sitting on his knees as he leaned on the couch to look at the book on my lap. "What did I do wrong?"

I scanned the paper again before answering. "Right there." I pointed at one of the numbers and then at another, "I don't know why, but you turned them around."

"What?" He snatched the book out of my hands and groaned. "I was so certain it had to be done that way, that's so stupid."

"You just made a little mistake, that's all." I reached out to take one of his pens from the table and handed it to him. He wrote it down again but this time with the numbers on the correct places and found the right answer. "Thanks and sorry to ask your help for something small and stupid."

"Don't say that."

"I thought you might be busy, so I tried it many times while it turned out to be such a stupid thing." He threw the book back on the table and sat down on the couch with a sigh.

I didn't say anything, simply because I didn't know what he wanted to hear. I thought about sentences about how it was okay, weighted the words and decided it wouldn't change a thing. So I just took the remote from the table and turned the tv on.

Kyungsoo

I had like ten different sentences in my head to explain the sudden phone I had in my possession, but they all tasted bad in my mouth. I didn't want to lie to him about it. Even the simplest lie made me uncomfortable so I settled on hiding the phone. I still felt bad about it but I at least didn't have to tell him. I turned the sound off even though Joonwoo had told me to pick up when he called, and decided he could wait. I didn't want to leave it somewhere in the house, so I put it in my school bag.

I watched Jongin putting the dishes away in the kitchen and quickly took the phone out of the pocket of my sweater, putting it inside the bag along with the books. I stood up and was about to go inside Jongin's bedroom when he called my name.

"Where are you going?"

"I wanted to take a shower before bed," I explained and continued my way to the bathroom when he nodded. I quickly stripped out of my clothes and turned the water on, making sure it was just a little too hot. I liked the way it burned my skin just enough to take my mind off things. I closed my eyes but immediately opened them again when Joonwoo appeared in my mind. The stinging pain on my forehead made me raise my hand to press it on the spot. Suddenly my whole body started aching, forcing me to search support at the cold wall. I pressed my cheek against it in an attempt to clear my head, but dizziness started clouding my mind. I thought it was better to get out quickly and reached for the knob to turn off the water. I grabbed a towel with one hand while the other was still pressed against the wall. My heart was racing as I tried to ignore the nauseousness as I dried myself enough to put my underwear on. I stumbled out of the bathroom, trying to hold onto one of the cupboards and accidentally knocked something over, but it sounded from far away.

Everything went black and I felt my body hit the ground even though there was no pain. In the blackness my mother's face appeared with blood spatters on her cheek. She turned slowly towards me until her eyes met mine and her mouth moved but the words came later.

"What have you done?"