POISONED YOUTH: TWISTED

CHAPTER 37

The van barely came to a complete stop before Haechan was already reaching for the door. The entire ride back had been filled with an uneasy silence, broken only by Chenle's occasional instructions and Yeoreum's weak breathing from the back seat.

Everyone was exhausted after the fight, but nobody cared about their own bruises or aching bodies. Their attention had remained on the girl they had just pulled out of IKON's hands, making sure she was still breathing and that the fear in her eyes hadn't returned.

The moment the doors opened, Haechan stepped out first.

"Hyuck—"

"Jaemin, take Yeoreum to the guest room."

He cut her off before she could finish, already turning toward the entrance. Jaemin carefully helped Yeoreum out of the van, keeping one arm around her shoulders as they followed Haechan inside.

They barely made it through the doors before a familiar voice thundered across the room.

"Wheres Yeoreum?!"

Yeoreum flinched at the booming voice and instinctively peeked around Jaemin's shoulder.

Yoonoh stood several feet away, looking nothing like the composed man she was used to seeing. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were slightly wrinkled, and his eyes were filled with a mixture of panic and exhaustion that made Yeoreum's chest tighten.

The moment he saw her, his expression completely changed.

"Oh my god..." He rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. "You're okay... Thank god, Yeoreum."

His voice trembled as he repeated the words under his breath, one hand gently caressing her hair while the other held her close. Yeoreum could feel his heart pounding against her, and the realization that she had frightened him that badly made guilt settle heavily in her chest.

"I'm okay," she whispered.

Yoonoh only hugged her tighter.

The rest of the boys stood nearby, exhausted and covered in the aftermath of the fight, but none of them had the heart to leave. They had all been worried about Yeoreum, and seeing her safely back at the mansion was enough to keep them rooted to the spot.

A few moments later, Renjun came down from the upper floor, offering them a small, apologetic smile.

"I called Jaehyun. I'm sorry." His hand lightly tapped Haechan's shoulder.

"Jaehyun?"

Every head turned toward Yeoreum.

The girl looked between them, confused.

"Who's Jaehyun?"

Renjun's eyes widened and slowly covered his mouth.

The others immediately stared at him.

"Oopsie?"