Unknown boy // ATEEZ seonghwa ✓

VIII

The tension is thick as Seonghwa and I wait for the bus to come. None of us speaking a word.
I would either look at my hands, the screen showing the time or the street but never once did I dare look at Seonghwa.

Finally, the right bus arrives and we both walk in, greeting the driver. Surprisingly the bus is quite full with only one seat left. Seonghwa who is in front of me pauses and turns around to face me. "Here, sit." I give him a small smile as thanks and awkwardly take a seat next to a middle-aged man. "I live sort of far away, sorry." He just shakes his said and tells me that it's fine.

We've been on the bus for about twenty minutes now. The bus stops at a new bus stop and a mother and her child get off the bus. He sits down at her place and I carefully get out of my spot next to the man and sit next to Seonghwa.

To make the air less tense, I would try to start some conversations but they would be cut short because he would always answer with a single word. Come to think of it, this is our first time being just the two of us without the other boys.

"Oh this is our stop, let's go." I get up and go towards the door and look back to see if Seonghwa followed me. He comes up behind me and when the doors open, we get off the bus and walk to the entrance of the house. Once the door is opened, the two of us enter and take our shoes off. "Welcome." I extend my arm to show around the house. I bring him to the living room, a room opposite the entrance. "I'll be right back." After a minute, I'm back in the room with the necessary materials to begin the assignment. "Shall we?" He nods and we begin.

It must have been already an hour or two since we came here and started our project. Still focused on the homework, I didn't hear the car arrive. Suddenly, the front door opens. My eyes widen in fear, knowing what's to come. "Soljoo, why is there another pair of shoes? Come here now!" I look back towards Seonghwa who looks a bit confused when he sees the terror on my face. "Soljoo!" "Stay here," I tell Seonghwa before quickly getting up from my seat and rushing to the entrance where my father stands, looking pissed. "I leave for a day and you're already whoring around! And in my house!" "Daddy, he's only here for an assignment. The libra-" He throws his bag down in frustration and walks to me while muttering in a low, threatening voice "You never seem to understand that you are not allowed to talk back." At every step he took forward, I would take a step back. "Please, daddy, not now," I say, my voice barely a whisper, unconsciously looking at the living room.

He heard me.

His face becomes beet red. He takes the first thing he sees, which is a small vase that was sitting on the shelf next to me and smashes it onto my head. The effect makes me fall down to the ground and I let a shriek from the impact. "Daddy, please stop!" He doesn't answer and simply grabs my hair and drags me along the floor hitting my head against the wall. I scream in pain and move around, trying to break free from his grip. I feel my hair being pulled off as well as blood trickling down my head.

"Stop! What are you doing?!" I new voice enters the room and in the corner of my eye, I see a familiar figure. Seeing him looking at me in this vulnerable state makes me cry harder. "Leave, boy." My father warns, his grip on me hardening. "No! How can I leave when Soljoo is in this state? Let go of her!" He shouts back. You're making a big mistake. The two of us make eye-contact and I shake my head warning him to not test my dad. "I said leave!" In anger, he slams my head against the wall and for a moment all I see are stars. "Stop!" I see Seonghwa grab my father's arm and pull him away from me. The older man snatches his hand back and puts in into a fist, ready to come in contact with Seonghwa's face. But he stops himself from doing anything and instead turns around and leaves the house. I look at the spot where he just was, confused.

Once, the front door closes, Seonghwa rushes over to me and cradles me in his arms. "Are you okay? Where did he touch you? Come let's go to the-" "Leave." I cut him off, preventing him from finishing his sentence. "What?" His eyes staring straight into mine. "Leave, just go. This never happened." He stands up abruptly, "Are you kidding me!? You want me to act like this never happened?" "Yes." He rolls his eyes "How could I possibly do that?" I simply shrug.

He stops moving, his eyes darkening, it seems like a thought just came up in his head. "This isn't the first time, is it." I look down, avoiding his gaze. "Answer me, Soljoo." "No," I whisper, tears now streaming down my face. "Soljoo... how long has it been?" His voice still stern but his eyes softening a bit. "Since my mom left." He sits on his heels, "When was that?" "Five years ago." There's a silence. It goes on for a while before Seonghwa breaks it with a scoff in disbelief. "Does anyone know?" "No." "Not even San?" His fingers start fidgeting. "No." "How are you able to live like this?" His voice cracks and I look up at him with my tear glazed eyes and see his in the same condition. "I'm not." "Soljoo, you need to tell someone. This needs to stop." "You don't understand Seonghwa, it's not that simple." "What do you mean?!" He's back on his feet, pulling his hair in frustration. This time, I stand up as well, despite the many aches. "Stop trying to be part of this! Just leave me alone and go back to living your life." "Are you fucking kidding me?" "No, I'm not. This isn't your business, Seonghwa." "You don't notice it but what you're saying right now is fucking bullshit! I'm not going to let you live like this!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "Stop! LEAVE! I don't want you telling anyone, and I mean anyone about this. If I hear about what happened, I will murder you."

Seonghwa stands still, looking at me in shock. "He messed you up. I can't believe you're living like this." He shakes his head and walks to the door. He opens it and looks at me, "Don't do anything about this." I warn him to which he simply shakes his head and leaves.

The door closes and I burst out into tears. Finally, the pain takes over me and in between my sobs are screams of pain. I put a lot of effort into going into the bathroom and taking my clothes off.

The water starts cascading down my body, the blood blending in with my tears and the water.

Seonghwa, I wish you wouldn't have seen me.

I take care of my scratches and bruises before moving onto my head. It's not the first time for me to get hurt on my head so I know what to do. Once again, the tears start falling as I apply the ointment on the wound.

"Fuck! I hate this!" I yell out loud and thrash around in my bed.

"I hate this so much," I whisper, my voice raspy from all the yelling and crying, no more enenrgy left in me but still enough to be wide awake.

My phone buzzes and I check the time to see that it's past 2 a.m.

One message from park.sa

park.sa
Something happened today, pls lighten up my mood.