A/N: I have ALOT to apologise for. I know :x But I've just got to say I'm rly sorry. I've written this chapter quite sometime ago and was supposed to continue till at least the 9th page before posting it up but I got stuck here at the 4th page so.. Rather than continuing to drag this I shall just post a short update. I'm sorryyyyyyyy. I had a rly bad writer's block and was preoccupied with school and ..well, play. Heh. Thank you to everyone who's still sticking to this story ! I super super appreciate it ~ Comments wil be gladly appreciated ! Thanks for reading and commenting (:

The next morning,

“___ ah !” Donghae called from the bathroom, opening the door slightly and reaching his hand out through the minute gap.

“Yeh oppa ?” ___ answered as she packed Donghae’s clothes in a bag after folding them.

Donghae let out an awkward laugh. “Um…could you kinda…get my towel for me ? I forgot to bring it in…”

“Ne araso !” She giggled at his muddle-headedness before approaching the door. Though the gap was small, it was enough for her to unintentionally look into the mirror in the bathroom situated right in front of the door, of which reflected Donghae’s upper body.

Upon mutual realization, he hurriedly grabbed the towel and slammed the door in his haste, startling her. “A-ah mianhe ! I’ll buy you ice cream later ! Komawoyo !”

___ stared at the door, blinking her eyes repeatedly, absolutely surprised at what she saw yet trying to digest what had just happened. “…O-omona…” She mumbled, slapping herself lightly and shaking her head repeatedly before continuing to tidy up his bag.

It was a good 5 minutes before Donghae stepped out of the bathroom, fully clothed with a towel around his neck and his hair dripping wet.

“I’m reaaaaaaally sorry !” He apologized once the bathroom door flew open, running towards her. “Did it hit your face ? Did I slam the door in your face ? Are you okay ? I’m sorry hun…!”

“Gwaenchanayo,” She replied with a smile, forgetting about everything due to his sudden outburst of cuteness. “Let me help you with your hair or you’re gonna get a cold in this chilly weather. Come here…”

With an adorable smile, the two sat side by side on the bed, with ___ drying his hair with a towel and after ensuring that all his belongings were packed and the paperwork were all settled, the two headed back to the dorm with the help of his manager who came to pick him up.

“Donghae hyung ! I made lunch !” Ryeowook announced, popping his head out of the kitchen upon their arrival. “Let me know when you want to eat so then I can heat up the food !”

“Ne, komawo, Ryeowook ah !” Donghae replied with a grateful smile. “Just let me unpack my things for a bit !”

The maknae then continued experimenting with the different ingredients in a pot that the dorm Aunt had just bought at the wet market that morning.

“___, will you come with me ?” Donghae asked her, their fingers still entwined since the start of their trip home.

She smiled sweetly, “Ne, of course oppa.”

DONGHAE’S POV

I closed the door behind us and sat on the bed, extremely vexed if I should tell her about the mandatory interrogation session since the evidence has finally been found and the case was classified as urgent, according to the police that had come to take my statement. As much as I wanted to settle this as quickly as possible, I figured it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Raking up her painful past and the mention of the jerk would most probably be an extremely painful topic. The last thing I’d want was for us to be awkward because of this issue. How am I going to bring this up ?

“Tired ?” ___ asked as she started unpacking my bag, interrupting my thoughts.

I shook my head and sighed involuntarily.

“Ah wae yo ?” She urged me. “Do you have something to tell me ?”

“Well…” I started, but was unable to continue. I was caught.

She put my bag aside, scooted beside me and held both my hands, “Hmm...?”

I kept quiet, not feeling comfortable asking her about this matter since we haven’t actually discussed this issue before. I didn’t know much about it since she never raised the topic so it made it more difficult for me to approach her.

“…Is it about…that matter with him…?” She figured and broke the silence in the awkward atmosphere, her eyebrows furrowed while her pupils were directed downwards.

I nodded slowly, continuing my observation in her change of expression. From the smile she had when she stepped into the room, it has changed into a stiff tight line, slightly curving downwards at the two ends of her thin lips as time passed in silence.

She let out a heavy sigh, “Is there anything I have to do ?”

“Well…yeah, you’re actually expected at the interrogation session this week so…” I fidgeted a little in my seat, my grip on her hands a little tighter. “I figured it would be better to settle this as soon as possible, …but I’ll leave the decision to you.”

She grimaced and shook her head, as if trying to shake away unwated memories, “Will I be…seeing him ?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure but…” I paused, being careful with my words. “I’ll be there with you… Whatever happens, I’ll be with you. Did you forget that ?”

“Aniyo…” She replied, not with her usual bubbly or cheerful tone, but one of being afraid and defeated instead. “It’s just that I’m afraid I’ll break down or collapse or something…although you will be there. It seems like when I see him, the events flash across my mind, and it’s really painful.”

I couldn’t say a word, or more like I didn’t know what I should be saying. Instead, I pulled her in for a hug and patted her back gently. “It’s something I know I cannot really help you with, and…I’m really sorry. Bu-“

“Don’t be sorry, it’s my fault for being such a coward…” She pulled away and interrupted. “I’m a weakling, right ? It’s frustrating…”

She had a bitter smile on her face, her voice starting to quiver while she her watery eyes tried their best to hold the tears in. “Don’t say that, ___. You’re a really strong girl. A really strong and independent girl. It’s okay to depend on others, don’t bottle up all these negative feelings. I don’t like it when you do that…”

“But I’ve depended on you guys so much to the extent that I feel like…I feel like…I’m just so sorry,” She sobbed, tears finally escaping and rolling down her cheeks.

It pained my heart to see her like that.

YOUR POV

I didn’t know what I was doing, being such a crybaby in front of my cry-able boyfriend. I looked into his brown, deep and warm eyes. Though he has yet to say anything, his eyes conveyed this indiscernible comfort, embracing me spiritually. The more I looked at him, the more easily my tears seemed to flow as I thought back about all the additional chaos and problems I’ve brought into his already not so normal life.

Yes, our relationship has not necessarily been peaceful before this matter, but it was definitely considered as not too bad thinking about how we were able to manage the situation yet keep our relationship the way it was, happy and strong.

There has been a saying that happiness doesn’t last forever, and I didn’t beg to differ. Because of me, I’ve brought trouble not only to him, but s, his managers, the company, my parents, everybody. Time and time again he’d end up in the hospital and each time the reason would always have been myself. To think that I had been such a coward, unable to face reality, unable to speak up, everything had been dragged for such a long time before these events could have happened. It was all my fault -- Donghae’s injury, hindering his work, putting his efforts for the comeback to waste. Now that the evidence is found and justice can be served, Donghae was as usual, extremely forgiving and patient with me, being with me in every step of the way. I felt so, so ashamed. Really.

I may have been the victim, but so were the people around me. Jake was the criminal in my case, but I felt like I was the one in theirs…

“You’re thinking too much, hun,” He whispered, his delicate fingers wiping away my tears. “All you need to think about now is how to stop being sorry and accept how you have a boyfriend who might soon become allergic of all your tears and ‘sorry’ speeches, araso ?”

I didn’t reply, it only made more tears fall. I wasn’t sure if it was because of my thoughts, or because of how warm his words were to my ears at the current moment. Why was such a jinx like me so lucky to have this beautiful man right before me, being the world’s most perfect boyfriend.

“Arasoooo ?” He asked once more with an encouraging smile, his fingers lifting my chin so that we could make eye contact.

I continued staring at his eyes for a while before I nodded, “Ne, araso.”

“That’s my silly girl,” He smiled, pinching my nose slightly.

“Komawo, oppa,” I said, holding both his hands and smiling at how his fingers automatically entwined themselves with mine.