What Lies Beneath ✅

Peal 10

She held my hands and I naturally pulled away.

"Look, I really don't want to bother with you. I have people I need to find. Please stay out of my life like you were supposed to. Isn't that what you all intended for me? Since I wasn't from around here and no one wanted to deal with a broken kid?" I said in a voice barely above a whisper.

I walked away from her and back towards Hualen, hoping the other four were still there. I needed to grab them so we could leave. I didn't like remembering my past, especially the moments I remembered vividly.

"Geon!"
"Geuwa? You're here again."
"Of course! We're friends, aren't we?"

My eyes sparkled at the word "friends". I only had two friends back where I used to live and I had none since being left in Hualen. I didn't know why everyone avoided me, I wasn't diseased or anything.

I shook my head as I didn't want it to continue. I knew how this memory ended. Despite it being close to a decade ago, it still hurt. Not as bad as when it happened, but some scars still ached.

"Why...?"

She only watched as the other kids beat up on me. I weakly asked her to help, but she simply turned her back to me. My heart shattered. I curled into myself as I no longer felt the outer pain from their kicks and blunt weapons. Tears rolled down my cheeks as the pain in my heart was unbearable.

ㅂㅂㅂㅂ

I walked back into town with my arms wrapped around me. I didn't care that they were whispering about me and giving me side glances. I just needed to find Youngjo and the others. I felt something hit my body then looked to see what it was. Someone had throw a book at me.

"Has anyone seen seen a group of guys...?" I squeaked out.

No one answered me. I didn't know why I expected them to. I felt someone push me forward then laugh.

"Be careful where you walk. You could fall." a voice said from behind me.

I stood up then brushed myself off, only to be knocked back down.

"Did I say you could get up?" he said while digging his foot into my back.

"Enough. Stop it." I said with warning.

"I'm so scared. Stupid nowol, threatening me." he said then laughed which was joined by two others.

"I said stop." I hissed as I was starting to lose patience.

He applied more pressure into my back and it felt like I was nothing again. Everyone just watched as he and his friends had their way with me. I was sick of it.

"Please, you can't do shit. You always have and will be useless." he said before kicking my side.

"I said stop!" I yelled in anger.

I panted slightly as three frozen figures surrounded me. I looked around me then noticed their judgmental glares had turned into fearful looks. I slowly rose to my feet then looked at the crowd.

"Go ahead. Say something else and end up like them. Though doing it wouldn't make me any better than you." I said as I calmed myself down.

They all dispersed and I was now left with their frozen bodies. I walked over to the one who pressed me into the ground.

"Wanyeon. If only you knew how badly I wanted to get back at you. And now I have." I said while observing his frozen state. "But I won't shatter this. Not only would it make me just as bad as you, it'd also be murder."

"Geon!" a voice called out to me.

I turned around and saw Youngjo approaching me from a distance. I ran over to him then gave him a hug.

"Geon? Is something wrong?" he asked while patting my back.

"I'm just happy to see you. Let's go. I don't want to be here any longer." I said.

ㅂㅂㅂㅂ

"So, you just left them there?" Keonhee asked with interest.

"Yeah." I replied.

"You're so badass. Shame we aren't balances." said Keonhee while nudging me.

I gave him a smile before looking at Dongju who hadn't said a word since we all got back together. I looked away then internally sighed. What was I hoping for? For him to throw a tantrum? Argue with Keonhee over it? It wasn't like we got along anyway. We didn't really want to be the other's balance. Yet seeing no sort of reaction from Dongju hurt just a little.

"Let's try to find Mr. Lee. He could probably explain the state of Dallulel and why Geonhak keeps getting attacked, kidnapped, whatever." Hwanwoong said.

"But we have no leads." Keonhee said from my left side.

"Then we ask around back in Pehsawi. Problem solved." said Hwanwoong firmly.

"You make it sound so easy. It's really not." said Keonhee flatly.

"Dongju, what do you think?" Youngjo asked, hoping to quell a brewing argument.

"Yeah, sure..." Dongju said emotionless.

We all looked at him as he never took his eyes off the floating pebble in front of him. I touched his shoulder, but received no reaction. I noticed a few trees started to shake around us.

"Dongju." I said in an uneasy voice.

Trees uprooted one by one. A house nearby had been lifted off of its foundation. I thought it would've stopped there, but soon a yelp was heard.

"Youngjo!" Hwanwoong said while holding an airborne Youngjo in his arms.

Keonhee sighed as he floated in the air along with the house and trees. Soon the ground beneath started shaking.

"Dongju!" I yelled at him while shaking him by his shoulder.

He turned his head towards me, but said nothing. He looked as if he was being controlled. I smacked his cheeks, but that didn't stop anything. I soon felt my body starting to float, so I held onto Dongju to keep from floating away. What could I do? I thought about it then sighed.

"Forgive me, Dongju..." I said with a bit of sadness in my voice.