Chapter 6
A Bang In The Heart
The last drop that went down my throat burned my mouth, leaving a crisp aftertaste.
I messed through my hair and let out a loud burp. I didn't feel too drunk but I felt really...comfortable. What time was it?? The two old guys were gone and the air felt cold and empty.
I picked up a soju bottle and tried to pour it into my glass but it was empty.
"Ffffffu-" I murmured.
I picked up my glass and kept tilting it in my mouth in hopes of drinking more. My eyes opened up halfway and peeked though the bottom of the soju glass.
I spied with my little eye...Se7en pouring more into his glass. I spied... Top slightly swaying in in his murmuring or cussing underneath his breath, I couldn't tell. He looked like he would pass out any moment.
And then I spied a Jiyong moping around with his head still down. I frowned.
"YAH!!! KWON JIYONG!! Are you gonna keep being like that?!!" I yelled pointing my finger at him.
TOP stood up suddenly and pointed his finger at me like a gun. "Huulll*! Banmal*??! This basta-" He drifted back into a murmur as Se7en pulled him back into his seat.
I slammed my glass down on the table in confidence. "SO?!! So what if she dumped you?!"
Jiyong looked up at me in disgust. His lips twisted evily and his eyes looked as if it would spit out fire. "YAH!! I didn't get dumped!! It was a..." He let out a small cough, "mutual decision on both our parts"
"Yaja time*?! Come on come on! Everybody come on come on..." Top put his hand above his head and clapped.
Jiyong and I both stopped staring angrily at each other and looked at top.
Top looked at se7en and let out a scoff, "You're a good looking bastard..." He let out a sputtering sound as he stuck out his tongue, "But I'm better..."
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*Hul- kind of like a "No way!". Popular phrase used by teens.
*Banmal- Way of talking informally. Without use of honorifics.
*Yaja time- A drinking game where everyone regardless of age can speak freely without use of honorifics. In other words, everyone uses Banmal*.
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"It's her loss! She should've known better if she was going to go out with a celebrity!!"
Jiyong opened another bottle and poured himself a drink.
"You don't even know anything so watch your mouth." Jiyong said with a pissed off look on his face.
His look hurt me a little. The way his eyes seemed to attack me shook my heart up.
"YEAH!! SHUT UP ENGUHLISHI TEACHAHH!!" Top yelled at me in English banging his hands on the table.
I shook my head as Jiyong put his head on the table.
"But still... That's no reason to be moping around." I said to him.
He picked his head up and gave me a piercing glare. "No one's moping around okay?!"
"YEAH F*#K YOU ENGUHLISHI TEA-" Top's voice drifted back into his murmuring
"Tabi-ya, you just shut up" Se7en massaged Top's arm.
"Just because you know a little bit about me doesn't mean know everything." Jiyong snarled at me as his wary eyes looked up.
"YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A F%$KING ENGLISHH TEEACHUH!!" Top's eyes began to stop intimidating me but instead began to look silly and amusing.
"That's it, we're leaving." Se7en stood up and pulled on Top's arm.
Top stood up barely and then tripped over his chair.
"Huulll...When was that there??" Top took his hat off and messed his fingers through his rich black hair.
Se7en paid the ahjumma as Top stood in the corner swaying in the breeze.
"Remi-ya, I'll get a taxi for you too" Se7en said as he pulled out his cellphone.
"Oh no it's okay, I actually live like 5 minutes away" I said pointing down the way we came from.
Se7en looked at Jiyong who had his head down on the table.
"He lives really close to me and don't worry, I don't think he's too drunk" I smiled as soberly as I could.
Se7en looked at Top who was squatting down on the ground talking to himself like a little boy.
"Uhhh okay then, I'll trust you. Here's my number, just call me if anything happens" Se7en gave a small nod and went over to help Top stand up.
"Alright then, nice meeting you Remi, see ya!" Se7en gave me a little salut and put Top's arm over his shoulder. "Yah wake up you bastard..." I heard him say as the two barely walked away into the dark road.
"Jiyong...shi. We should go too." I suddenly began to feel a bit distant from him. Back into the English teacher I was. He was only my student and I was just an English teacher, I shouldn't have said anything to him at all.
Jiyong kept his head down and walked ahead of me. He swayed as he walked and made me worry that he might fall.
The dark alley looked even more scarier and emptier. The breeze was just a bit chilly and every thing seemed at calm. I kept a foot of a distance from him as we walked back. The lonely alley looked as if it got narrower and narrower as we kept going.
About halfway there, Jiyong stepped over a slanted stone and almost tripped before I safely caught him in my arms.
"Jiyong-shi!! Are you okay?" I asked. He wrapped one arm around my shoulder.
He didn't feel too heavy but the real burden was from the fact that he was so close to me. His eyes looked about closed and his breathing was heavy. I could feel his body heat being transferred to me and I felt myself begin to sweat a bit on my forehead.
"Okay then... We'll keep walking" I said nervously.
We started to walk as he leaned his side against me. His breathing got heavier and he staggered as he walked.
Jiyong whispered something underneath his breath. I stopped and leaned close to his face to listen...
"Jihae-ya...Jihae, Im sorry... I couldn't-" he shook as he whispered.
I began to worry and looked into his eyes. "Jiyong-shi... Do you want to sto-"
Jiyong looked at me sharply and pushed my back against a nearby brick wall. He grabbed my hand and put it tightly against the wall as his other hand reached behind my neck. I felt like I couldn't move and my breath halted in a sudden breath. His face was so close to me that I could feel his hot breath on my face. His cold fingers behind my neck sunk into my skin and I felt a tingle creep down my spine. Jiyong's eyes looked as if they were on fire and his lips lingered just a centimeter away from mine. He had me frozen as a statue and my mind petrified.
I in a breath and my mouth was filling up with saliva.
Should I swallow right now?? What should I do?! If I swallowed now he'll think I want this!
Jiyong ran his fingers down my jaw and touched my lip with his thumb. I shuddered as his eyes grazed over them. He examined it with such passion that I couldn't dare to interrupt him.
But then his burning eyes turned into cold and empty sad eyes as they slowly looked down. His brows furrowed into deep distress and his lips quivered in fear. The hands that held me tightly to the wall relaxed and let me go as he sunk down as if he was drowning.
He sat down on the ground with his knees up to his face and leaned against the wall. His eyes focused on something distant and his hands grabbed his chest. His eyes brimmed up with tears and his breath was labored as if he couldn't breathe.
I squatted down next to him. I tried to say something but my throat felt clogged...
His face looked as if he was in great pain as he tried to take deep breaths.
"I-It hurts... It h-hurts so much.. I should've-" He grasped his hands into a tight fist and pulled himself together tighter. He blinked hard as if it was painful close his eyes and tears fell down like an overflowing stream down his face. He opened his mouth to let out a light sob.
"I don't know why..." His voice cracked as he clenched his teeth. I felt speechless and stupid to even say what I had said to him. To see him in this state, I felt myself crushed.
Jiyong carefully put his head down into his knees and sobbed as hard but as quietly as he could. He was shaking abnormally and his swallows were long and hard.
At that moment he wasn't Bigbang's charismatic leader or the charming Kwon Jiyong. He was just a heartbroken boy who had lost something dear to him. Everything faded out, and the dark alley wasn't just a dark alley but it was a little sanctuary to him. The only place he could let out a cry and be someone normal for once.
At that moment, I did something I never thought of doing... I hugged him. I hugged him not because I loved him, or wanted to become someone close to him. I hugged him because at that moment, I realized that just like me, he was human too.
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I didn't know how long I hugged him but it felt like a good five minutes. His breathing was smoother now and his shaking had toned down. I looked around to see the reality of it all. We were still in the alley and we were so close back to our house.
I unwrapped my arms from him carefully and tugged lightly at his arm.
"We should get going... We're almost home" I whispered quietly to him.
I managed to get him up but he still was not in his right state. His walking was still staggering so I put his arm around my shoulder once again.
We finally reached the house after multiple shoulder strains and few trips and pauses. I looked up at his door 818 and looked at him.
"Jiyong-shi, we're here." No response.
I sighed and stretched my neck to the side. "Do you have your keys?" I said a bit more loudly. Still no response.
I rolled my eyes and looked at him. "Alright.. Um I'm just going to reach into your pocket right here... Okay?" Jiyong sniffed.
Okay then, here I go. I stood him up straighter and reached into his pants pocket. I felt his warmth right in my hands.
His cellphone...His wallet.... His keys!
I took out his keys from his pocket and put them up into view. The keys had a "chrome heart" carving into them and little intricate designs. Yup these were his.
His head swung down as I pushed the key into his door and swung his door open. The place was pitch black so I couldn't see anything but it smelled freshly of him. The crisp and freshly showered scent.
"Okay, I'm just gonna put you down here..." I said quietly as I tried to push him downwards at about a meter away from the entrance.
But Jiyong's hand grabbed my arm and pulled me down with him! We were both lying together on the ground. His arms wrapped tightly around me, one hand on my back and the other behind my head. My hands were awkwardly on his chest and I could feel his quickening heartbeat racing against mine. Jiyong tucked his head inside my hair and I could feel him breathing into my ear. I shivered at his breath.
His nose poked through my hair and his lips touched my ear.
"D-don't leave me... Not tonight" he whispered in his breath.
He swallowed and I could feel his Adam's apple bobbing on my shoulder. Jiyong's fingers wrapped inside my hair and I felt his lips kiss my ear. Despite the pitch black room, the world felt white and blinding.
"Jiyong-" I tried to speak
"Shhh" He shushed me and his breathing was calm. His warmth carried into me and I felt so cozy in his arms.
I was tired and he was tired...The tiny tick tock of the clock slowly muted away. His scent overpowered me and my mind went instantly numb.
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