Challenges | Yangyang

16

She stood near the window, staring at the serene, starry night sky. Her eyes were bloodshot, glistening with tears as she went through her memories. Once again, she couldn't fight the torment that was devouring her. Her once peaceful and happy life vanished into thin air because of that one day.

_Flashback_

"Stop messing with me, Jackson. It will not get you anywhere." She glared at the boy in front of her. "Look at you being all miserable right now. You know very well where this will get me." He smirked, moving in circles around her.

"You think they'll believe you? The person who has so many witnesses against her, she'll be believed?" He laughed at the girl. She clenched her fists trying her best not to break few bones. "Everyone knows you as a bully, my bully. And we both know that won't change unless I want it to." He stopped in front of the girl.

"Sooner or later, the truth will come out. And I am not afraid of anyone. And above all, you are aware of my reason." She spoke after a long silence. "Of course, your reason, 'you don't want to be a trouble for your parents.' Was it?" He laughed once again and she hated this laughter.

"Oh come on, who are you enduring it for? A mother who never cared? Or a father who isn't even your real father?" He spoke, amused by the new information he spat at her. And yes, she lost it, again.

Tripping the boy onto the concrete floor, she kicked his stomach multiple times before hovering over him to throw a punch on his face. He winced in pain, she was always stronger than him for some reason. As she was about to punch the not-so-innocent boy, the door flung open.

"Here, sir, I tried to stop her but she won't listen." A boy, supposedly Jackson's sidekick entered, followed by the principal. She got up and clapped her hands clean. She wouldn't careless about the principal but what caused her eyes to go wide were the four figures who had just entered the room.

As if on queue, Jackson ran towards a female figure and hid behind, clutching the hem of her shirt. Hyejin mentally eye-rolled at the boy who now started shivering- no acting actually. "M-Mom, I-I t-told y-you s-she s-she'll k-kill m-me. P-please p-please t-tell h-her n-not t-to d-do t-this." He cried harder and harder causing the girl to receive glares from the older people.

"I-I apologise on the behalf of my daughter s-" "Dad, don't, he's acting." She said, slightly uneasy. "Acting? He's acting? Have you seen him? How hard he's shivering, his cryings are all acting? I've had enough of this!" Jackson's mother shrieked.

"Hyejin, get in the car." Her father ordered. "But da-" "Now!" He shouted at his daughter but then they heard a loud thud. Apparently, Jackson had fainted. "I'm not letting it slide this time, Mr. Lee. Your daughter has crossed the line." Mr.Wang spat at his political friend and left carrying the boy.

After everyone left, she looked up to meet her father's raging face. She had never seen this side of him until now. "I can expla-" The sound of a slap was heard across the room. The girl was shocked. It was the first time her father slapped her.

Facing the floor, she silently followed her parents to the car. She could only hope that the situation would not be against her at home. Telling herself that she might deserved that slap, she didn't protest. But his words said otherwise. A father who isn't even your real father. And of course, the worse was yet to come.

_End of Flashback_

Tears slid down cheeks endlessly. That was when it all began. The physical and mental torture did not leave her for a single day after that incident, causing her to run away.

Occupied with her painful memories, she sighed for the thousandth time and sat on her bed. Out of nowhere, she felt vibration under the covers. While lifting them, she saw a device, her phone. Holding the phone in her hands, she unlocked it and checked the notifications. 5 missed calls from Yangyang. She quickly dialled the number and held the device next to her ear.

"Yangyang?" She spoke impatiently. "Hyejin? Is everything alright? I've been calling f-" "Where are you? Are you alright? Did something bad happen?" She spoke once again. "I'm fine. Where are you? Are you with the boys right now?" He asked.

"I- yes I'm with the boys-" "Do me a favour. Don't tell them I called-" "But why?" "Listen, tell me where you are, I'll come and explain everything." After a minute of silence, she told him where they were and without saying another word, he hung up.

What is he up to? She thought before finally making her way to the living room. Ten and Lucas had slept there while watching a movie. She took hold of the remote and turn the TV off before cleaning the mess the boys had made in the room.

Lucas woke up and looked around. "Hyung? Did you turn the TV off? Why are we sleeping here anyways." He yawned and shook the boy. "Mmm lemme sleep." Ten said as he shuffled causing himself to fall off the couch.

"You two. Get up and go sleep in your room." Hyejin re-entered the room. "You haven't slept? It's 3 in the morning." Lucas spoke with a raspy voice. "Uhh I couldn't sleep." She looked uneasy. "Why are you looking at the door, anyways?" Ten questioned.

"Me? Uh n-no reason." She replied slightly glancing at it again. "Weird." Ten said as he got up and left the room. "What happened?" Lucas asked softly. "Nothing." She replied before sitting on the couch. "Your eyes are red." Lucas said, examining her face.

"I didn't sleep, that's why." She avoided eye-contact. "Oh well, you're a bad liar. I know you've been crying." He said looking down. "It's nothing, really. I just.. miss them alot." She whispered the last part and glanced at the door once more.

He side-hugged her and told her everything will be fine. After a while, he got curious as to why she kept looking at the door every now and then. "Are you waiting for someone?" He asked out of curiosity. "Uh no." She replied. "Liar." He stood up and looked outside the window.

"No way."