A World of our Own | K.TH *COMPLETED*

Him and Her

"You were awake for the entire time, weren't you?" I accuse as he sinks against the couch. Jungkook and the others have now gone, claiming that they had an appointment in the hospital. They had dropped by shortly before their scheduled time, although they assured me they would've gladly been late to help me out.

"Yes."

At his light acceptance, I roll my eyes internally. He didn't even try to deny the fact.

"Why do you hate them so much? They helped you, you know. And me, too."

Adjusting his cut shoulder, V shrugs uncomfortably. I don't know if it's the topic that's making him so anxious or it's the pain from his wounds.

"I don't hate them," He tugs at the short sleeves, trying to cover the bandages spiraling all the way down to his forearms. "I don't know the other two— I only know Jungkook, and I don't want to meet new people."

Silence fills the air between us for a minute as I wordlessly pull his hands away from his sleeves.

"Stop that. You're going to rip the shirt, and then you'd have to get a new one. The sleeves aren't long enough to cover the bandages."

"Did you cry again?"

At the sudden question, I look up in surprise. I had definitely not expected that from him— or maybe a little part in the back of my mind did.

"This is just yours, don't worry," As I lie, I wipe my own sleeves over my face and eyes, trying to clear the blood and the signs of deceit from my features. "You were bleeding a lot—"

"I've been lied to too many times and now you're lying to me as well?"

Even though he should sound absolutely exhausted and like a person that's about to faint, his voice is ten times sharper than usual.

My body tenses as I immediately think up excuses, more lies, more deceit.

No. Stop this.

He knows.

"I'm sorry," I admit truthfully. "I actually did cry— but you were in such a bad condition that I couldn't help myself. If it makes you feel better, I'll rest for like fifteen hours straight after this."

A light, amused chuckle echoes from his lips, and only then my rapid heartbeat calms a bit, knowing that I've made him feel better. It's odd how happy it makes me when I somehow manage to break through his barriers, even though it lasts only a few seconds.

"How are you feeling?" Naturally, I began to fuss over his welfare as my face twists into a scowl. "Does he beat you up ever day?"

There's only the slightest trace of relief as he shakes his head, claiming that he usually stopped by once a week. He had no idea why he came this soon— and I immediately blame the action on his psychotic personality.

"If you're so afraid of your mother getting injured, why can't you just live with her instead? You'll be there to protect her—"

He stops me right there, wincing as he holds a finger to his lips.

"It's not that easy— you won't understand."

A defiant expression blooms on my face as I lean forward, like we're talking about something secretive and we couldn't let anyone else overhear.

"Try me. I told you my secrets— it wouldn't be fair if you didn't tell me yours."

His face tightens for a long second, and I'm positive that he's going to kick me out of his apartment when he finally breaks the silence. The word he says next makes me happier than everything, and I'm also ecstatic that he didn't tell me to leave.

"Fine."

My heart softens when I clearly see his usually calm eyes tremulous, his composed hands now shaking so much he has to clamp them together to stop. His lips open and close multiple times, and I can see the uncertainty flicker on his face— the doubt in his wide brown eyes.

I wonder if that was how I looked when he confronted me with the bloody towel.

"I won't hate you," I say, repeating his exact words. "I promise."

Surprise seems to glaze his eyes before realization replaces the unnerved emotion. A ghost of a smile dances past his lips as he nods, and in that brief moment, I can't help but melt at the faint expression.

I wonder how he would look if he smiled fully, without holding himself back.

People would probably faint— I'd probably die, having accomplished my purpose in this world.

"Do you know what schizophrenia is?"

Schizophrenia?

"I have that— in the worst type there is." When he sees my confused face, he lets out a shaky breath before continuing. "You'd probably understand better if I told you hallucinations, anger management issues, and my want to be by myself. The list goes on— I hear voices, I show unreasonable dislike to people I meet. I would hurt myself if my father doesn't already do it for me—"

V—

Before I know it, I've latched my arms around his neck, dark red tears brimming the outline of my eyes. I wonder if this is how he felt when I poured out my heart to him. I wonder if he felt like I do now— wanting to take the pain, the suffering—

Away. Forever.

Even though he's way too tall and big for me to swallow him whole, I manage to get high enough to look him eye to eye. The moonlight streaming from the windows lights the brown of his eyes in a dark fire, curving on his face and revealing the vulnerability hiding underneath all those thick layers of ice and stone.

To sum it up in a word—

Absolutely stunning.

"I still don't hate you." I mutter, my voice muffled with my head buried in his shirt.

"I don't think I ever will."

A/N: Thank you guys all so much for supporting this book! Love you all!