Here With You

Chapter 18

When I walk through the front door Chang-soo is standing in front of me with his arms crossed, I prepare myself for what he has to say.

"Where have you been all this time? Were you with him? Why do you keep spending so much unnecessary time with that punk?"

"Just stop it already, don't call him that. And it's not unnecessary, ahjussi requested that I befriend him and help him become happy."

"He's happy now so can't you just stop it already?"

"I can't! I don't want to, I like him too much to stop and I hate that I have to leave. If I could stay I would, I want to be with him all the time and I didn't realize it before but he makes me happy too." I admit. "Just forget it I need to study for exams."

Hae-jin hasn't been at school in while, he missed yesterday and he doesn't seem to be here today but I don't think anything of it. Maybe he's back to his old habits again.

"Don't you know where he is?"

"I don't, why would I? He's probably at home sick or sleeping or something." I explain to Mi-young.

"Well you should know, you guys have gotten really close and he said he likes you." I raise my finger to mouth telling her to lower her voice, afraid that Jae-suk will hear. Mi-young, Se-joo, Jae-suk, Do-hwan and I sit in our usual spot in the cafeteria and joke around while we eat our lunch. I pick around at my pickled radishes, Hae-jin normally eats whatever I dont. Now that he's not here, I do feel like our group is unbalanced and it puts me in a low mood.

"I don't really have an appetite. I'll leave first." I say taking my tray. The rest of my school day feels long and dull and I cant wait until it's over. I'm disappointed that I'm walking home alone today.

I spend the evening studying and getting ahead on my homework and further preparing myself for exams until my phone starts chiming like crazy. 15 messages? Se-joo and Do-hwan have been asking me if I'd been in contact with Haejin or know where he could be. That's when I call Do-hwan myself.

"What's going on with all the messages from you and Se-joo? What's up?"

"Soo-min, it's about Haejin. We can't find him anywhere and he won't answer calls or messages. I don't think he's home either, we're getting worried can you see if you can get through to him?" He asks.

"Yeah I'll see what I can do." I hang up and dial Hae-jin's number, on the third ring he answers.

"Anneyong Soo-min!" He slurs into the phone. Before I could respond he hangs up. When I call again he doesn't answer. I try two more times and still nothing, I begin to panic. Quickly, I throw on my sweater and slip on my sneakers and head outside to look for Haejin. I run search for all the possible places he could be, as I'm doing so I call him almost 30 more time and still nothing. At this point tears are running down my face. I'm praying that my final spot will be lucky. When I get to the park there's no one in sight and I don't know what to do.

"Hae-jin! Hae-jin, you dummy where are you?" I yell. "Hae-jin!" I yell one last time but still no response. There's a dark shadow on the park slide and I cautiously approach it.

"You found me!" Why is our Soo-min crying?" He tries to focus on my face.

"You scared me! I thought something happened to you, you jerk! Wait, are you drunk? How did you even get this alcohol huh?" I remove the bag of alcohol from his hands, two out of the four bottles in here are empty.

"You were worried about me? Why? You know who isn't? My mom. She's engaged to that man now and went to go sleep at his house. I told her not to but she didn't care about my feelings. My feelings matter too you know. What about me? What about my feelings? What do I do? My heart hurts and frustrates me to where I can't breathe and I want to die so what do I do?" I've never seen him so vulnerable and it almost hurts.

"It's okay, it will be okay. Let's get you home hm?" I wipe away his tears. His eyes are red and swollen along with his nose and cheeks.

"So pretty. Soomin is so pretty."

"It's cold let's go." I say and help him up on his feet, his arms wrap around my shoulders and his tall body heavily towers mine, I continue to support and drag him along. "We're almost there." I enter the code and lead him inside his home. He kicks off and shoes and I do the same then lead him to his room.

"It's hurts. My head hurts and I'm sleepy." He groans like an innocent child. Very carefully, I lay him down and kneel at the side of his bed and pitifully watch him as he silently falls asleep. When I feel it's the right time, I stand and turn to exit but he stops me by pulling me down in the bed with him.

"H-Haejin." My heart begins to race and my cheeks feel warm, his eyes flutter open.

"Stay. Please? Will you be at my side from now on Kang Soo-min?" He holds my hand. I nod.

"I'll stay with you, Lee Hae-jin." I give a weak smile, "Get some sleep hm?"
I admire him as he peacefully sleeps. This person who is hurting, is also someone I like a lot. And I'll only cause more pain.

"Mianhae, Haejin. I like you so much to where it hurts and I don't want to be without you. But I have to leave soon. I'm really sorry, for liking you and im sorry for the you pain you will soon feel because of me." I whisper.