𖤐

One Year Ago

"Jinyoung, let's go get some ice cream."

Jinyoung glanced over at Y/n who tugged on his sleeve, waiting expectantly for his answer.

Before Jinyoung could respond, his phone began to ring. He looked down at the screen, his eyes widened slightly at the caller ID.

"Hold on a minute." Jinyoung said, distancing himself from Y/n. He made sure it was enough so she couldn't hear what he was saying.

"What do you want?" Jinyoung asked, the annoyance in his voice was very evident.

"What's with the attitude, hyung? Don't you miss your younger brother?"

"You are not my brother, Yugyeom."

"Only half-brothers, of course. Sadly, we have to share the same mother." Yugyeom spoke with disdain.

"Well, thanks to your father, she's dead." Jinyoung gritted his teeth, "Your father killed both of my parents, Yugyeom."

"He didn't—" Yugyeom stops himself before continuing, "It wasn't his fault, my father was only protecting himself, he didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice, Yugyeom. You are the descendant of the devil. Your father is pure evil." Jinyoung spoke, trying his best to sedate his temper.

"I'm the evil one?" Yugyeom sneers. " Fine, guess I am. How's Kai, by the way?"

Jinyoung clenches his jaw, trying to keep his cool. Yugyeom is only trying to provoke Jinyoung. Yugyeom wants him to try and do something stupid.

"Yugyeom, I swear to God, if he touches Y/n one more time I'll—"

"You'll what? Huh? You can't do anything. I'm better than you in every possible way. I might even come down there to see what all the fuss surrounding Y/n is about." Yugyeom declared.

Jinyoung could smell the awful stench of Yugyeom's smugness through the phone. It made him sick.

"You just proved my point. You are evil reincarnated...just like your father." Jinyoung laughed at Yugyeom's attempt to scare him.

"Don't call me again." Jinyoung demanded.

He hung up and immediately blocked and deleted Yugyeom's number.

Jinyoung slid his phone into his back pocket while making his way over to Y/n. She gave him a blank stare before speaking.

"Who was that?"

"Nobody important." Jinyoung reassured her with a small smile, yet she didn't quite believe him.

"Wanna get that ice cream now?" Jinyoung grabs her hand, walking through the park.

Y/n nods happily, not wanting to question Jinyoung any further. Besides, it wasn't any of her business...yet.

She pulled Jinyoung's hand up to her lips, placing a gentle kiss on the top, "I love you."

Jinyoung's tense shoulders relaxed as a smile fights it's way onto his lips. His heart couldn't help but melt for Y/n.

She was the first person Jinyoung has ever truly loved. Someone he cared about more than anyone in the world. Jinyoung wouldn't allow Yugyeom to take the one thing he holds so dear away from him.

"I love you, too."

• I •

Present Day

"Kim Yugyeom!"

It was the next day, the day after Mark told you Yugyeom was the one who had your necklace. All night, you were forced to wait, waiting to confront him and now is your chance.

You burst into the cafeteria, stomping your way over to Yugyeom's table. You slam your hand on the table, glaring at him with your cold eyes.

Your eyes flicker over to Mark as he stops chewing his food and stares up at you, barely acknowledging your presence.

You turn your gaze back to Yugyeom and noticed his eyes slowly following your hand up to your face with an annoyed expression.

"What do you want?" He asked, clearly uninterested in speaking with you.

"I think you have something that belongs to me and I would like it back." You speak through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, his eyes light up with amusement as you finally caught his interest. He raises his brows and shakes his head, trying to come off as clueless. "Do I now?"

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about?" He stares at you with his cunning eyes before glancing towards his friend, Mark. "Do you know what she's talking about, Mark?"

Your eyes shifted back to Mark, staring at him expectantly, as did Yugyeom. Mark's eyes bounced back and forth between you and Yugyeom, but he just shrugged, remaining silent.

You could tell that he wasn't supposed to tell you about your necklace so you didn't blame him for keeping quiet, but it did kind of hurt a little.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Yugyeom." You refocused your attention on the black-haired fiend. "Give me my necklace back."

"Oh, you mean this?" He pulls your necklace from his pocket and dangles it in front of your face.

You try to snatch it from his hands, but he quickly yanks it away from you. "Not so fast."

He rises from his seat and walks around the table, standing behind you. You roll your eyes in annoyance, and turned around to face him.

"I'll give this back, if.." He pauses, eager to piss you off.

"If?" You question, crossing your arms over your chest.

"If you let me take you somewhere after school." He says, stepping closer to you.

"W-What?" You stuttered, feeling surprised as you step back.

"Only as friends of course." He adds, and you felt your brows furrow.

"We are not friends." You correct." "..and why would I go anywhere with you?"

"Because, if you want this little necklace of yours back, then you'll go." He states as he leans down, inches from your face.

He waves the locket in front of you, teasingly before backing up. You heaved a heavy sigh, knowing you had to accept.

"Fine, but don't expect me to be nice." You state, clenching your jaw.

"Oh, I don't plan on it." He says with a mischievous grin.

You had nothing else to say, mainly because you couldn't refuse. You needed your necklace back.

Something about this told you it was a bad idea. Maybe he was planning on taking you to a secluded area and murdering you right there. Well, actually he probably wouldn't do that seeing as people would know he was the last person I was with.

"I'll see you when school's over then." Yugyeom gives you one last glance before walking off with your necklace.

You let out a frustrated groan, turning around to face Mark.

"What did I just get myself into?" You whine slumping down in the seat across from him.

You look back up at Mark and he just stares at you with that same distant look in his eyes.

"Good luck."

• II •

The last school bell of the day finally rang, indicating it was finally time for you to leave with Yugyeom.

You shut your locker reluctantly, not wanting to go anywhere with that asshat. You couldn't image where he could possibly take you.

As you were getting ready to leave, you noticed Mark pass you while he walked down the hallway.

You quickly rushed up to catch him and gave him a smile, "Wait, Mark. I need to ask you something.

"Yeah?" He stops and turns to you.

"Do you think you could somehow manage to get my locket back for me?" You questioned, feeling hopeful.

"Sorry," He gave a grim smile while shaking his head.

"How do you even put up with him all the time?" You asked genuinely perplexed, he must have some kind of high anger tolerance.

If you had to hang out with Yugyeom everyday, you'd need anger management pills.

"Yugyeom and I have known each other since we were kids. You get used to him after a while." He reveals and your brows raised at his statement.

It's no wonder they're always together. Now you're kind of curious to if Yugyeom was always this presumptuous or if he slowly became this way over time.

"Anyways, I should probably get going before he starts to get impatient." You sigh tiredly, just thinking about hanging around Yugyeom gets your blood boiling.

You smiled while giving Mark a small wave before heading off.

As you exit the building, you spot Yugyeom leaning against an expensive looking corvette—naturally. You rolled your eyes while walking over to him. His hands were shoved into his pockets while he stared down at the ground, presumably trying to appear chic.

You slowly walk up to him, eyeing him suspiciously. He didn't notice you yet as he was too busy staring at his own feet with an innocent looking expression on his face.

"I'm here." You stood in front of him with your arms crossed.

"Let go then." He says and gets in without another word.

You took a deep breath, preparing for the worst as you walked around to the other side of his car.

You opened the door and slowly sat down, pulling the seatbelt over you. "Where are we even going?"

"You'll see when we get there." He said simply, starting the engine.

"Yugyeom, I'm not too keen on getting into more trouble with my probation officer today." You said, finally revealing why you were so nervous.

His brows knitted, not quite understanding. You let out a deep sigh before resting your foot on the board, pulling up your pants to reveal the ankle monitor.

"Oh shit." He laughs," I knew there was something off about you."

"What'd you get in trouble for? Spying on others doing inappropriate things, y'know cause you're a perv." He teases, allowing you to recall Bambam's party.

"Shut up, you're annoying." You grimaced. "No, I got caught breaking into my old school."

"Hm, who's your probation officer?" He asked, and you stared at him feeling uneasy.

"Lim Jaebeom. Why?" You gave him a suspicious look.

"I'm actually really close–I mean, my father's close with him." He discloses. "I bet my father could talk to him and get you off the hook for just today."

"I don't think that's how that works." You said, skeptical of his words.

"Trust me, my father can be really convincing." He said, giving a very concerning grin.

You internally said your prayers as he pulled out of the parking lot and sped off.

"Lord, what have I gotten into." You muttered quietly to yourself.

After about a fifteen minute drive, Yugyeom pulled into a parking lot of what looked to be a bowling alley.

"Bowling? Really?" You questioned in disbelief as you notice the sign at the top of the building.

"What? I like bowling." He says straightforwardly.

You shake your head, already done with his stupidity. If he wanted to hang out and have fun he should've brought Mark or one of his other friends. All you wanted was your necklace back.

You let out a heavy sigh before stepping out of his car and quickly heading inside.

Yugyeom went up to the man working at the counter and payed. You involuntarily followed him as he picked out an alley and shoes for the both of you.

You took a deep breath, deciding you might as well make the most of this since he is paying for everything.

"Prepare to get beat." You challenged, causing him to raise his brows, pleasantly surprised.

"Oh really now? Bowling is my speciality." He informs.

"Try me."

You grab a mint green ball from one of the bowling ball racks and walk back to your section.

You got in correct form and roll your ball down the isle with a heavy amount of pressure, resulting in it knocking all the pins over.

You turn back around to face him with a boasting expression on your face after earning your first strike.

You stroll over to the couch, sitting down beside him, "Your turn."

"Two out of three then?" He asks, clearly excited for some competition.

"Whoever looses, has to buy ramen." You declared and he nods, feeling cocky.

"Deal."

• III •

After a good two hours of playing this game, you rolled your last ball, hitting down nine pins.

"Damn, so close." You whisper to yourself.

You look up at the screen to see that the game was over. "What? How is it over already?"

The screen begins to show both of your scores and Yugyeom won by three points.

"Damn." You muttered under your breath, knowing you now had to pay for the ramen.

"Looks like you'll be buying our dinner." He says, throwing his arm around your shoulder giving you his victory smirk.

"Yeah yeah." You shoved his arm off as you both walked over to the food court.

You order two cups of ramen and went to sit down at one of the tables. "Congratulations, you win free ramen. You should be grateful to me."

"I am, thank you." He says in an oddly sincere tone.

You began to stare at him like he's gone mad. He's been acting awfully nice today and it's making you suspicious. It's like he has some sort of ulterior motive behind this hangout that you don't know about.

You watch him as he starts eating his food with eagerness. You took a bite out of your ramen when you suddenly remembered about your necklace and why you were actually here.

"Can I have my necklace back now?" You reached your hand out, waiting patiently.

"Way to ruin the mood. I thought we were having fun." He complains.

"We are, I just want it back." You state, truthfully "Can I have it back, please.."

He just sighs, pulling it from his pocket and places it in the palm of your hand. "Here."

"Thanks." You smiled, finally happy to have your necklace back.

"Why is that thing so important to you?" He questions, watching as you swiftly hooked it around your neck.

"It was gifted to me by someone I love." You state, reminiscing at the thought of Jinyoung.

"You mean the guy in the picture?"

You knew he was referring to Jinyoung as he clearly looked at the picture inside, but you were confused as to why he sounded so resentful..

"Yeah, why? Did you know him?" You asked, not actually expecting his to say yes.

"I did." Yugyeom said, seeming slightly pissed of now. "Until he betrayed us."

"Us? What do you mean betrayed?" Your brows contort in confusion.

"Never mind, it's nothing and none of your concern. I shouldn't have said anything." He glares at you, in which you furrow your brows.

"It is my concern if it involves, Jinyoung. Tell me." You command.

"Just mind your business for once!" He shouts, standing up hastily.

The sound of his chair screeching against the floor could be heard clearly, causing everyone to look over at us.

"All you need to know is that Jinyoung is a self-centered prick that doesn't care about anyone, but himself."

"Yah! Kim Yugyeom! I may not know the whole story between you two, but I suggest you keep your mouth shut." You demand, angrily.

That pushed you over the limit. The way he was talking about Jinyoung made you get so angry and defensive. You didn't understand why he was saying those kinds of things about him. It was like he was talking about a completely different person.

"Or what? What are you gonna do?" He asked, provokingly.

"You know what, I don't care. You're not worth even worth half my time." You scoffed as you stood up.

You stared at him in disappointment and his gaze immediately softened, full of regret.

"You don't have to bother driving me home. I'll find my own ride." You state, quickly leaving him to alone to sulk in his thoughts..

You left the bowling alley and walked across the street distancing yourself from that place. You continued to walk until you were far enough away when you eventually found a park.

You sat down on one of the many benches thinking of a way to find a ride home. You scrolled through your contacts, thinking of anyone you could call. When you finally found one you clicked on the call button.

"Hey, Jaebeom...I need a favor."

As that short conversation ended you hung up and waited for Jaebeom, your beloved uber driver, to arrive. It's what you're going to have to start calling him seeing as he is literally always driving you home.

You sigh, feeling exhausted as you look up at the night sky. You noticed it was one of those starless nights when it suddenly began raining.

You quickly looked back down at your feet to shield your eyes from the water. You folded your arms over your chest, shivering as it suddenly began to feel cold.

You stared down at the locket resting on your chest and felt your heart clenching in pain.

You missed Jinyoung a lot. It hurt being away from him for so long. It's even been weeks since you've spoken to him. Being so far from him felt like a punch to the gut.

Everything was much more simple back in Busan. You didn't have to deal with this annoying drama which is pretty much being caused by Yugyeom alone.

You wondered why you even broke into your school, you would have been better off just failing the exam.

You can't help but think about it every single night. Going through the same scenario over and over again. If you had done something different, made different decisions, you'd still be in Busan with Jinyoung and your friends.

You felt so stupid right there in that moment that you didn't even realize that you had heavy tears rolling down your cheeks.

"Y/n?"

You look up only to see Jaebeom standing in front of you with his car parked on the road.

"Jaebekm?" You whisper.

He pulled you up from the bench, staring down at your soaking figure with a worried expression.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" He holds onto your shoulders with a frown.

You shake your head not being able to answer. You couldn't tell how he was able to see your tears as the heavy rain should've disguised them.

"I fucked up." You stare up at him, despair written all over your face.

He sighs, pulling you into a comforting hug. You immediately wrapped your arms around his waist tightly, hiding your face in his chest. He pats your head gently, letting you get all your tears out.

"It's okay, Y/n. We all fuck up sometimes.." He pauses. "..but that's what makes us human."

• • •

!! Edited !!

April 18, 2020

— SM Tings ;)