Save Me

09

Your father was the person who taught you the meaning behind some Korean names.

It was some sort of bonding you two did when you were still a kid. The most memorable part was when your mother told you that she was pregnant, thus giving you the opportunity to choose a name for your baby brother.

Of course your father helped you decide. He told you different names and its meanings.

Jeongguk. This was what stuck to you the most. It meant center of the country. The moment you had heard about this, you instantly knew it was the perfect name for the unborn brother.

Jeongguk was meant to shine, to be the center, not just of the country, but of the whole world.

But you failed him.

You failed when there was a very short period of time where you were supposed to be making him the center of your attention.

And so now you reap the harvest of your failure.

Jeongguk was now the center of your life, the main reason why you were stressed out.

"Thanks for letting me know," you clutched the phone near your ear tighter. "I'll be there soon." It took a lot of energy to say this, but you had to.

It had been months since Jeongguk started living in your apartment. You took him in despite his antipathy. Like hell you'd allow him to go back to his old house.

A house full of liars and users.

Jeongguk wasn't lying when he said your father died of heart attack. Your brother only told you about this weeks after the burial.

Everything had been taken care of. Your aunties, the siblings of your father, paid for all the expenses, but they were demanding to be reimbursed now.

Jeongguk also said that your aunties sold your father's house so now he had no choice but to live with them, but to do so, he first needed to pay for the amount of money they spent for your father's burial.

Nothing was free. This was what they claimed. The money Jeongguk owed them had interest as well. Aside from this, your aunties also told Jeongguk that he had to pay for his share in rent and utilities monthly. If he couldn't do this, then he wouldn't be allowed to live with them.

Jeongguk begged your aunties to give him some time. It was obvious that he didn't have money, mainly because the siblings of your father took all of his assets.

Your brother felt helpless. He considered living on the streets, but then your aunties told him to go to you. You inherited a lot of money and rumor had it that you leeched off of your rich boyfriends for their wealth.

Jeongguk had been through a lot that was why you couldn't really blame him when did bad things—his way to destress.

"What did he do this time?" But Taehyung wasn't having any of it.

He already knew that Jeongguk got in trouble as soon as he spotted you looking for your car keys, face pale because of trepidation.

You were probably going to wherever the hell Jeongguk was. This had been your new routine ever since the younger boy moved in with you.

You had no idea how many times someone called you to inform that your brother was in trouble.

"The principal called. Jeongguk's in the disciplinary room,"

"Ah," the devil chuckled, bringing the magazine he was reading down on his lap. "Let me guess, catfight?"

"Don't call it that," you gritted your teeth. "This is serious, Tae. We need to go now,"