04.
Truth of Seok Xia

--- LAST TIME ON {{ COMING OF AGE }} ---

I was scared, but I had enough. "What? NO. GET AWAY FROM ME!" I shouted at him.

----

"Why don't we play Truth or Dare!" Jungkook happily suggested, and everyone seemed fine with it. "Starting with you. Truth or Dare?" Jungkook pointed at ____.

Now, truth will rise.

--- NOW WE CONTINUE ---

"What? Me? Why am I first?" ____ was kinda panicking, not knowing what to do. She was quite shy.

"Yah, Jungkook-ah. You seem really interested in our baby here." Si Ah clinged onto ____, making the others laugh.

"Problem?" Jungkook just shamelessly made a heart, while he was chewing some chips.

"Woah. WOAH. Slow down. IT'S NOT EVEN YOUR TURN YET!" Jimin was a bit shocked at the sudden gesture that Jungkook made, well, everyone was.

Arin was examining Jungkook closely, saying to him, "What do you have up your sleeves, Kookie-yah?" 

 ( OKAY, LET'S GET IMAGINING BABIES. THAT'S JUNGKOOK NOW. LOOOL OKAY GOOD. )

"Ah bwohyah... Don't play with me, Jungkook-ssi." ____ pouted and struck a tiny (and adorable) glare at Jungkook.

"O---kay. Let's move on now shall we?" Jongsuk nodded, as he continued. "I pick... Of course... Si Ah~ Truth or dare~?" He said in a loving tone.

"Truth." Si Ah said with a straight face.

"AM I PRETTY~?" Jongsuk cupped his face with his hands, like a little flower.

"Ani." Si Ah answered, again retaining her poker face, but laughed afterwards since she couldn't hold it in anymore. Jongsuk felt happy that he made Si Ah happy.

"Okay, my turn. Yongie hyung *reversal joke, instead of oppa lool*, truth or dare?" Si Ah pointed at Taeyong, while he responded, "I pick...... DARE~" 

"Okay. Easiest dare that anyone can do. Aegyo!" Si Ah laughed, waiting for his aegyo. "Ehh. That's too easy~" Taeyong said as he proceeded to act cute.

"Okay scratch that. Let's move on." Si Ah totally disregarded his aegyo, and everyone chuckled.

This went on for a bit, when finally they get tired. Finally. They were about to go home, it's 6:30pm now. They didn't notice that it was raining hard already, and that the buses have stopped going around town due to the heavy rain.

--- Si Ah's POV ---

Omo, it's raining quite hard... It's pretty hard to go home now... There are several rooms here thankfully, and that they're not bad people too... Why do I feel afraid? I know it won't happen again. 'Calm down Si Ah.' I mumbled to myself. 

Arin was fixing our rooms. Yongie hyung also helped her, Jimin, Jungkook, and ____ were talking. Well, double J right there are just interrogating ____. I pity her, she got bombarded with a lot of questions that are pretty personal. Jongsuk and I just talked. 

What's my relationship with Jongsuk? He likes me, I'm unsure of what I feel, but he's been my friend since the start of high school. I'm just so scared of getting in a relationship again, because of what happened before.

"Do you still remember everything that happened on that day, Jongsuk?" I asked him, looking at the ground.

--- FLASHBACK, 6 MONTHS AGO ---

It was a typical day. I was going on a date with my then boyfriend, a guy named Goo Seunghyun. He was a year older than me. He's been nothing but nice to me, but I can't say that, we've only been dating for six months. He invited me to get lunch at the cafe near the dorm. 

When we got to the cafe, he suddenly told me that he forgot his wallet. He asked me if it was okay to go back to his house to get them. I haven't been there too. I just said okay, since I thought it would be fast. We walked there, he held up conversation with me. It was quite pleasant.

We got to his house... Well, his apartment. He opened the door for me, and offered me to sit. I noticed that he locked the door, I felt chills down my spine. He told me to rest while he finds his wallet. I played on my phone while he was 'finding his wallet.' I didn't know why I felt sleepy, before I knew it, I was asleep. 

Opening my eyes, I couldn't my hands, nor my feet... My mouth was taped. I struggled so much, then he said, "Don't struggle. You can't get away from me now." That's when I noticed, from a distance I could see my pictures. It wasn't even selcas, it was from when I was walking, eating with friends. He was a stalker. I cried, I didn't know what to do. 

A day passed, I'm still here. He gave me food, but I barely ate it, leading to him punching me. I tried shouting to get his attention, he removed the tape from my mouth. "What?" He asked with a stern look on his face. "The tape hurts my mouth... I won't be noisy, please don't tape my mouth again..." I practically begged. It was hard to breathe, too. My heartbeat is still faster than ever. I feel like I'm going insane. 

Then Arin called me, he didn't answer my phone... And she texted, and texted, asking me where I've been. He ignored it. I didn't know what to do anymore. All I did was sleep, I didn't eat much. I just wanted someone to find me, but I barely had friends...

--- Arin's POV ---

Ah bwohyah, where is this girl. It's not like her to not come home. She's seriously dead to me when I find her. I should ask Taeyong oppa and Jongsuk, maybe they can help.

I told Taeyong oppa that we were going to look for her. Yesterday, she said that she was meeting up with her boyfriend at the cafe. I don't know her boyfriend that much, but he seemed nice. Anyways, I called Jongsuk.

"Jongsuk, have you seen Si Ah?" I was a bit panicking at that point. "Ani... She didn't respond to my text today." Out of luck, where could she be? We're practically outcasts, we can't fit in everywhere, even though i'm a trained con-artist who can change personalities accordingly, and she's pretty famous for her various talents, such as a detailed memory on important matters.

I texted Si Ah again.

From: Arinnie<3

Message: Si Ah~ When are you coming home?

--- Xiang^^ replied. ---
--- Open ---

From: Xiang^^

Message: I'm going to stay at my boyfriend's, keke.

That's strange. She feels uncomfortable in other people's homes. Even if he was her boyfriend. I then tried to test her memory, if it really was her. I felt skeptical. This is just based on my intuition.

From: Arinnie<3

Message: Si Ah~ Do you know where I left my keys then? I told you last time, I can't remember where I put it.

--- Xiang^^ replied ---
--- Open ---

From: Xiang^^

Message: I can't remember. Me and Hyunnie are going out, bye~

I'm sure now. That Seunghyun forced Si Ah or something. I got to act fast. 

"TAEYONG OPPA! Can you get Jang-ssi and trace Xia's phone?" I took my things, my bag, and was at the front door. "He'll tell us the way. Let's go!" Taeyong oppa and I ran, and ran. The phone was staying still at one place. We reached that location. It was an apartment building.

The tracing led to the apartment room number 199. Now I'll make use of my con-artist training skills even though I barely like it.

I wore plumber's clothes. Great. Okay, ring the bell. I took deep breathes. Someone finally opened the door.

"What do you need?" He's so rude. "Plumbing, I need to check the tubes." 

"We didn't have those before." He gazed at me, he doesn't know me so it's all good. "It was made as a safety regulation by the city's office, sir. It was announced last two weeks, and your apartment just implemented it."

"Oh is that so? Please do." If Si Ah's really here... He's dumb to let me in. I hear budging as I get in. I 'clumsily' fell, Taeyong oppa's signal to come in. "Aigoo, my partner is so stupid! Sorry, sir!" Oppa's taking advantage of this situation to make fun of me. 

Oppa signaled the police to come, he found Si Ah. It will be too dangerous for us to ambush him by ourselves so we need help... After a few minutes, the cops have arrived.

"SH*T!" Seunghyun grabbed Si Ah, he was wielding a knife! 

"GO AWAY. OR SHE'S DEAD!" He put it close to Si Ah's face.

Jongsuk arrived with the police too, he stood beside me and oppa. We told the police we'll talk to him, since to be honest, they might ruin things.

Jongsuk came a little closer. What is he thinking!?

--- Jongsuk's POV --- 

"Yah, you love her don't you?" I don't even know what I'm saying. Why do I feel nothing. I put my hand out to reach for him, "Try and kill me." What am I saying. Why. I came closer and closer and closer...

SLASH.

"Ouch......" 

That was the last thing I recalled after all the things that happened that time. I woke up in the hospital, Si Ah, Arin and Taeyong were there.

"What happened..." I tried to sit up, but it hurts. "Yah pabo! He slashed you on your chest, thankfully it's just a scratch but WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?!" Si Ah, you're okay and you're nagging at me again. I'm glad.

Taeyong and Arin went out of the room to 'handle some papers' but really we're given alone time.

"You're really stupid, aren't you? Why would you do that?" Si Ah said, I noticed her wound by her lip... Bruises on her arms and legs. That good-for-nothing Seunghyun! 

"It's because... I love you, pabo-yah." Okay, I said it. No going back.

"What." That's the only thing I heard from her. But her face became red, she can't really hide it huh. Her words are completely opposite from her body's reactions. I patted her head, "It's ok. I can wait for as long as you like. Now, go get some rest." I moved a bit from the bed, and patted it. "It's not like it's the first time you're laying down with me, we spent hours talking to each other while laying down."

She hesitated, but she laid down. "This is my thank you to you, pabo." And with that, she falls fast asleep. Her body tired out... I brushed her hair to the back of her ear. "I'll wait. I've already waited for a year, ever since I met you... Only now did I get my courage to tell you." I mumbled to myself.

--- Narrator's POV ---

After the rooms were tidied up, they each went to bed. The girls went to bed together, and the guys in the other room. Not much fun, their game of truth and dare, but Si Ah's truth has been revealed. 

Who's past will be uncluttered on the next chapter... Is it finally yours? Find out!

annyeong

Hello! FINALLY ANOTHER CHAPTER <3 I hope you enjoyed this chapter, again sorry not much action going on... I mean there is, but you know, the lovey-dovey action :P We'll try to make you blush on the upcoming chapters so dont worry! Really hoping that you guys are okay with the character exploration we're doing rip. OK THANK YOUUUUU <3

credits - contradictori