roommate. wooyoung

FOURTEEN

After I calmed myself down from hearing Wooyoung's story coming out of Nari's mouth, I decided to head inside his room. There, I saw Wooyoung sitting on the edge of his bed with his shirt off and I caught a glimpse of scars on his body under the moonlight.

I turned on his bedroom light and covered my mouth with my hands at a much clearer sight of his body. There were all sorts of scars stained on his tanned body. I wanted to cry at the moment but I held it back. I let out a shaky breath and sat on the opposite side of the bed.

"We'll leave you two alone. If you need anything, I'm only a phone call away," Nari says and I gave her a nod.

When I heard the apartment door close, indicating that they left, I chewed on my lips as I scanned my eyes all across his back. I felt a pang in my chest and I couldn't help but to let a teardrop roll down my face. I wiped it away and sniffled.

"I guess now you know why I'm so sensitive," he says with his back facing me.

"Wooyoung, I'm so — "

"No, I should be sorry," Wooyoung interrupted me, "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, for not trusting you."

"No, you don't have to apologise. I now get why you didn't want to tell me. It must've been so hard for you. I can't imagine the pain you went through all these years,"

Wooyoung shook his head, "my step-dad left a terrible memory of him in my head and I'm trying my best to get over it. But it's hard when there's so many things that reminds you of those terrible nights that you feel like you're stuck reliving those moments."

"If you need any support, I'm always here," I said, reaching my hand to caress his back but stopped and put my hand back down beside me.

Wooyoung gave me a small smile, "thanks, Miyeon, I know I can trust you."

I laid down on his bed and gave him a soft chuckle, "of course you can trust me."

He laid down as well and faced me, "I remembered when I was ten. It was my birthday week and my mum was the only one to celebrate it with me. She would lay with me in my bed and hold my hand tightly while my dad was throwing a huge rage outside my bedroom door. But that didn't really bother me because my mum's hold made me feel safe."

Is that why he held my hand so tightly this morning?

"I don't know what to say, Wooyoung,"

"I've always had trouble sleeping because he would come in my room at the most unexpected time and start beating me. In the dark. That's why I hate sleeping or being in the dark," he continued.

"What about your mum? Where is she when that happens?" I asked.

"My step-dad would keep her locked in his room when he decides to beat me so she can't stop him. We tried to run away one time but failed. It resulted in my mum breaking a leg and I breaking an arm. So we didn't try anymore after that. We were basically stuck there,"

"You didn't try to call the police or anything?"

He shook his head, "we didn't have any phones in our house. He wouldn't let us have anything."

I kept silent. Instead, I scooted closer to him and pressed my cheek against his bare chest — hearing his slow heartbeat in my ear. I enveloped my hand in his and gently squeezed it while we laid there in silence.