My mother held a harsh grip around my forearm as she pulled me into the house. The door was given a slam while I stumbled back from my mom's anger.
"I can't believe your stupidity," she growled at me. I swallowed, feeling like a cotton ball was lodged in my throat. Her tone was nasty and scolding. "You're seventeen now, Miyoung. You should know better than to fool with things that can cause so much harm to your life."
I wanted to speak out in my defense, but I was terrified to even breathe at this moment. I sunk back from my mom, which caused her expression to soften just a bit. A flash of guilt passed in her eyes.
"Miyoung," she whispered, reaching out to me. I stepped back. "I'm sorry, honey. Please don't hate me for getting so mad."
I gave her a long stare until she finally dropped her arm.
"We'll talk tomorrow. Get some sleep." Before retreating back to her room, she locked the front door and gave me a stern look.
I stayed standing in the middle of the hallway, shivering. It took a minute for me to collect myself and for my weighted legs to eventually carry me back up to my room.
Minhyuk's P.O.V
With an excited smile on my face, I walked up to Miyoung's door. It was a bright morning, but the forecast called for rain later on. I gave the door a knock, the same knock I always used.
Miyoung's mother was there to open the door. She greeted me with a warm hug. "It's one of my favorite children!"
"Mom." I heard Miyoung whine from behind.
I peeked over her mom's shoulder to see her standing there. Miyoung's long dark hair was cascading down her shoulders and arms. She wore her glasses today, which she normally didn't choose to put on. I couldn't help but grin from the feeling in my chest every time I saw her.
I stepped away to hug Miyoung as well. Her arms limply wrapped around my torso while mine held her tight. Even though I always wished for her to hug me just as closely as I did to her, I didn't let it erase my happy expression.
"I need to switch the laundry," Miyoung said. "It's my week. I'll be back in a second." She stood on the balls of her feet to plant a gentle kiss on my cheek.
Miyoung's mother's hand rested on my shoulder as Miyoung disappeared around the corner. "There's something you need to know," she told me, keeping her voice low.
I faced her, tilting my head in question.
"I caught Miyoung visiting the silo last night."
I felt a beat skip in my chest as worry took me over. "Really? Why did she do that?"
Her mother shrugged. "It asked her if she was still with you. That's what I heard before I cut in to bring her back home."
I rubbed my temples. A sigh of frustration left me. "How can I help?"
"You really care about my daughter, and I respect that." She paused, seeming to give a thought time to process. "There's something that we can do, but it could be dangerous."
I lowered my eyebrows while studying her tense expression. "What?"
After a drawn out moment, she finally spoke. "I've been studying shadow people for a long time now. I've finally learned pretty much all there is to know. They're deadly and ruthless. Anything could set them off. I also found out a way to save Miyoung from ever putting herself into his harmful grasp. I found out how to kill the monster."
