Sinful Passion

twenty-seven

Chaeyoung was nearly in hysterics.

Mina's first order of business was to try and calm her down. She helped Chaeyoung get dressed, then wrapped her up in some blankets and hugged her tightly. Pain couldn't even begin to describe how Mina felt. Chaeyoung was sobbing and shaking in her arms, incoherent words spilling from her mouth.

"Chaengie, it's okay, everything is going to be okay... I'm here with you, remember?" Mina coaxed in her most soothing voice, trying her best not to let her own voice crack, or her own tears escape her eyes. Truthfully, she wasn't very calm herself, but she forced herself to be. For Chaeyoung's sake.

Mina quickly assessed the situation. The door was still closed. Changmin hadn't returned, yet. Chaeyoung was sobbing and holding onto Mina for dear life, but whatever Mina was doing seemed to be working, because Chaeyoung was able to talk through her tears and hiccups now.

"H- He knows... M- Minari... H- He's g- going to hit me... a- and we'll have to b- break up... I... don't w- want us to b- break up...!"

God, if only Chaeyoung wasn't here right now, and Mina could just cry alone for a few hours. She couldn't stand the weight of reality crashing down upon her unprepared soul, nor the sight of this fragile Chaeyoung who was probably experiencing things a thousand times worse than she was.

"Shh, Chaengie, don't worry," Mina held Chaeyoung closer in her little cocoon of warmth. Chaeyoung grew weaker from all the crying, resting against Mina and listening to her steady heartbeat. "Don't worry about your father. I'll go have a talk with him, and I promise I won't let him near you no matter what. You don't even have to see him if you don't want to, okay?"

Chaeyoung's crying died down into little sniffles.

"And remember I said I'd stay by your side unless you told me to leave?" Mina continued. "I'm still keeping that promise, you know."

Mina managed to lull Chaeyoung into a light sleep, and she carefully tucked the sheets around her to keep her warm. The younger had probably exhausted herself from crying so much. Mina hated leaving her alone in this state, but she urgently needed to speak with Changmin before things escalated further.

Changmin was standing right outside the door when Mina left the room, probably having heard everything in her conversation with Chaeyoung. But Mina expected exactly that from someone like him.

"What the fuck is going on, Mina? Care to explain? Are you- Are you fucking dating my daughter?" Changmin interrogated in a harsh whisper. Well, at least he had the decency to be quiet and not wake Chaeyoung up.

Mina thought it best to move to a neutral environment for this. "I know you're angry, you have every right to be. But can we talk about this somewhere else?"

Changmin and Mina settled for a compromise, their backyard. Not exactly neutral like Mina wanted, but at least a good distance away from Chaeyoung, should anything serious happen.

"Talk," Changmin demanded.

Mina admitted everything. After all, what other choice did she have? She was backed into a corner, with no possible way she could cover for herself and Chaeyoung. She knew that Changmin knew, and any attempt at deflection would only anger him more. He always liked to play mind games.

Once Mina was finished, Changmin was positively red in the face with rage. "You-! You disgust me. I can't take this. It's not even worth my time dealing with you, you know that? But Chaeyoung is my flesh and blood. I need to beat some sense into her."