Artificial Water

Chapter 27🥀

Jongin

"You are what?!" I exclaimed in disbelief from hearing her say those words.

"Don't yell at me." Hayoon turned to me with an annoyed expression. "If you tell her, I will kill you before you could say mommy."

I furrowed my eyebrows and crossed my arms, "then why did you come here?"

"Because I just figured it out and need someone to know what's going on. If mom finds out about this I am going to die." She placed her bag down on the ground before wiping some strands out of her face. "You think I want this?"

"Well, tell the father." I offered. Hearing it come out of my mouth I realised it sounded as an insult, but I honestly didn't know what I meant it to be. "It's not my fault, nor should I be the only one knowing this."

Hayoon's face dropped. "I wanted to tell him but..."

I stared at her, waiting for an explanation that didn't came. "But what?" I asked impatiently, feeling Soo's hand around my arm. "Why don't we sit down so you can tell what happened?" he suggested. "I can leave if you want me to."

"It's fine, you already know it anyway." She sank down on a chair and placed her hands on her knees. "I'm so ashamed."

I sighed deeply before taking a seat on the couch next to Kyungsoo. "Just tell us how it happened."

She nodded but didn't look up. "I met him in the shop while I was doing groceries. I couldn't reach the sugar so he offered me to help him. I thought it was just a stranger and that he would stay that, but when I went out a week later I met him again. He took me home to have a drink and one thing led to another. I haven't seen him ever since."

"What do you know about him?" I asked, feeling anger building up inside of me again.

"He said his name was Doyun." She replied softly. "I can't even tell him about it, if I wanted to."

I groaned and ran a hand down my face. "How could you be so stupid?"

Before Hayoon could answer my question, Kyungsoo asked, "are you sure his name is Doyun?" His voice was full of surprise and something I couldn't recognise.

"Yes, why?" Hayoon looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "You know him?"

Kyungsoo averted his gaze and rubbed his arm absently. "Yeah, he's Joonwoo's brother."

I almost choked on my own saliva as I heard that name. "You are joking, right?"

He turned his face to me and shook his head. "I only met him twice when I visited their house and he was often out. I heard he lives on his own now. You can't remember where his house is?"

Hayoon bit her lip. "He drove me home and I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings, since I was very tired and half asleep."

I shook my head, "how could you have let this happen? You are older than me and I didn't think something like this would happen to you."

She wiped her eyes as they started to tear up. "Who's Joonwoo?" She asked, ignoring my statement.

"No one special," Kyungsoo answered softly as he forced a smile. "A story not worth telling."

"You are gonna keep it right?" I asked suddenly realising what kind of situation this was. "You can't keep it away from mom forever."

"Of course I am," she snapped. "I just need to wait until I find him again and hope he is willing to be the father. She'll be alright with it as long as I have someone that seems reliable."

"And marry soon," I remarked. "You really think that's gonna work?"

Hayoon shrugged. "It's the best I can do."

Kyungsoo

A loud bang tore through the silence accompanied by lightning that lit up the dark room for a second. I pulled the sheets over my head in an attempt to block out the sound, hugging my legs. I pressed my eyes closed, trying not to think about the moment that appeared in my mind. Jongin would know how to calm me and chase away the bad memories but he was bringing his sister home. I had no other choice than to wait for him and trying not to let my feelings take over.

I felt bad for Hayoon. It was a decision with big consequences and I was pretty sure Doyun would not want to be the father of the child, considering his family. I hoped I was wrong and that everything would end up fine for her, but only time could tell.

Another bang made me shudder as I pressed my forehead against my knees. Pieces of my memory started to seep through the wall, taking me back to that moment. I started to breath heavily as I tangled my fingers in my hair, pulling hard in an attempt to make my mind go in a different direction. A groan escaped my lips as I saw the door and my hand reaching out for it.

Stop!

I shook my head and the imagine flickered before disappearing. I threw the sheets off of me and took a sharp breath. The warmth had made it hard to suck in air and now the cool air seemed pleasant. My fingers were fumbling with my shirt as I waited for the next bang. My heart was racing and it became harder to keep thinking about other things.

The door appeared again and my hand was already on the handle, pushing it down. The room was dark enough to not see where I was going. I stepped forward, hands out to feel where the bed was. "Dad?" I knew I would only find him, since my mother was out. "I'm scared of the thunder."

This had always been the moment my father would have said; "I know. Climb in."

But there was nothing.

"Dad?" I tried again as I felt the soft material of the bed underneath my hands. "Are you awake?"

There was no reaction so I shook him lightly. "Wake up, dad." My voice was now more insistently than before as worry started to take the place of fear.

The thunder was so loud it made my ears ring and my breath hitched as lightning lit up the room. It was just a second when I could see him but the picture stayed in my mind for ages. He was laying with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling with void eyes. I stepped back from my father, feeling the lump in my throat that kept me from screaming.

The sound of a door being closed brought me back to the present as I looked up at Jongin's worried face. "Are you okay?" He asked as he got into the bed and I nodded.

"It's just the thunder," I explained and laid back. My heart slowly calmed and so was my breathing. "I am glad you are back."

"I am sorry for leaving you alone," he apologised as he wrapped his arms around me. "I am here now."

"I know," I whispered.