run ── 𝗹𝗲𝗲 𝗷𝗲𝗻𝗼 ❎

Chapter 17

SOOJIN'S POV:

I wince as Jeno helps me out of the bed. A sharp jolt of pain explodes at my side. Shrugging off the pain, I stand. I have others things to worry about.

That boy.

A slight headache rises but I ignore it. Who is he? Why do I recognize him? Does he recognize me as well?

Jeno puts one hand around me protectively as we walk through the hallways. Many people turn to look at us. Jeno squeezes my shoulder gently and I just feel safer with him around.

Suddenly, we take a sharp turn into a dark, unlit hallway. We soon arrive at a metal door. The boy knocks on the door, and I hear a few locks being retracted before the door swings open.

'Please do come in-Jeno? What are you doing here?' The man I assume is Kun frowns.

Jeno only tightens his grip on me. 'I'm with her.'

Kun presses his lips into a thin line. 'Please leave Jeno. You too, Mark.'

The boy, now I know his name, Mark, slips out the room, pulling a reluctant Jeno with him.

I close my eyes for a second. Suddenly without Jeno's warmth, it feels so cold and unknown. And there is something about this man, that triggers the same headache that the boy, Mark, does.

Reopening my eyes, Kun gestures for me to sit down. Favouring my wound, I ease onto the chair.

'I won't ask for your name, but I will get straight to my questions for you. What is your relationship with Jeno?'

'Friends...I guess?' I don't know what is happening, but I guess it won't hurt to answer some non-harmful questions.

'Do you like him in a romantic manner?'

'What?' I yelp, my mouth hanging slightly open. That was so sudden, so unexpected.

Kun's face remains expressionless. 'You heard what I said.' Suddenly, I feel as though I am being interrogated in a cell, trapped between bars of cold iron.

'I...I don't know?' I'm confused. Where is this conversation going?

The man narrows his eyes. I want to back away from his fierce gaze, but I can't afford to cower, can I? No, I won't.

He taps the table impatiently. 'I know you know. Don't try to lie. You should know everything about yourself.'

I throw my hands up and glare at the man. 'Hey mister polite not so polite! Do you think I know everything about myself? You barely know me - you have no right to even assume that I'm lying!'

A ghost of a smile pulls at his lips. I stare at him, dumbfounded. He's smiling? Why will he be smiling?

Kun leans back on his chair and muses. 'I like you. You have defiance. I like when people have defiance.' His expression turns solemn then. 'But defiant people often turn into stubborn people.'

I ask flatly, 'And what are you trying to suggest, Mr Polite?'

He shrugs. 'I had Mark talk to you about it already.'

Catching up quickly, I shake my head in disappointment. 'I already said no. I'm not going to stop meeting with Jeno just because you said so. You don't get to interfere with my friendships.'

A sudden fire swirls up in his eyes, burning into mine. 'So be it.' If you're not willing to save your friend from a potential weakness. There is nothing I can do. Leave.'

I gape at him. 'Me?'

Kun slams his hands onto the table. 'I said leave! Did you not hear me?'

Flinching slightly, I stand up turn around without a word and slip out the room. In the distance I can hear a commotion, filled of voices arguing. I begin to walk towards it.

'Stop fighting will you?'

'I'm not going to leave her alone with someone she doesn't know at all! Let me go!' The familiar voice hisses.

'Kun isn't gonna kill her or something okay!'

'Still! I want to be with her.'

'You know you shouldn't even be friends with her. You'll ruin her - her innocence, her spirit. And you damn well know it.'

The uneasy silence makes me pick up my speed, despite the sharp throbbing at my side.

'I...that's what I find so interesting about her...the way she always finds something to be happy out. The way she's always so energetic.'

'You don't want to take that from her, do you?'

His voice is so quiet, almost left unheard in the air. 'No.'

'Then keep her out of your life.'

A low dangerous growl sends chills down my back and I burst into the room, through the open door.

Mark jumps when he sees me. He has his hands wrapped around Jeno's arms, pulling them behind his back, restraining him. Jeno hasn't noticed me yet, as his back is facing me.

Mark narrows his eyes at me, then turns to face Jeno again. 'I'm gonna let you go okay?'

He hisses, 'About time, don't you think? I'm going to Kun's-' When Jeno turns around and sees me, all his previous anger dissipates.

'Oh Soojin, you're here.' Jeno looks surprised.

'Yeah. Kun kicked me out.'

Jeno's eyes darken and he clenches his fists. 'He what?'

Realizing what he thought I meant, I quick backtrack. 'Oh, not like physically kick me. He forced me to leave. He screamed at me, but that's it.'

He visibly relaxes, but still remains tense. 'Soojin, you should be resting, not walking all around. You're still injured.' The pained look in his expression shows that he still has not forgiven himself.

'It's okay, I'm fine.' But just as I say that, the pain returns. It vanished for a moment just now, when my mind was too focused on their conversation, but now it's back.

Somehow noticing my discomfort, Jeno crosses the distance between us and cups my face in his warm hands. 'Do you want to go home and rest or do you want to stay here? There's medics here who can help you recover faster.'

I look up hopefully. 'Home?'

He brushes a strand of my hair to the side and says softly. 'But there's no one to take care of you properly at your home Soojin...'

'But...' I tense up, not sure how to phrase my words.

Seeing my uneasiness, Jeno tips his head in concern. 'You don't like this place.' It comes out more as a statement than a question.

I shake my head. 'No. I don't.'

'Then...why not you stay for a night? Tomorrow morning you can go back home. I just want to make sure your injury is better.'

I mull over the suggestion for a moment before nodding. 'Okay.'

Jeno smiles his beautiful eye smile, and I smile instinctively.

He wraps his arm around me shoulder securely and leads me towards the door.

'Where are we going?' I inquire.

'Your room just now, of course. It's late Soojin. You need to sleep.'

'Oh.' Now I feel absolutely stupid. I'm so dumb.

Jeno chuckles softly. 'You forgot you had to sleep?'

'No!' I protest quietly, acutely aware of Mark staring at our exchange. However, he doesn't make any comments, despite the disapproval in his eyes.

Jeno ruffles my hair and laughs, seemingly oblivious to Mark. 'Whatever you say. Come on then.'

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Someone save me from my homework plz :(

And my sudden (re-)addiction to minecraft videos 😂