Kiseop looked around the room, looking for something that would help when he felt a hand smack him across the face. Kiseop fell to the ground in a daze. "Beat it kid!" Jekyung's step father shouted over Jekyung's screaming. Kiseop thought and thought of what to do.. He felt there was no other choice

Kiseop finally came to his senses and ran out of the room. "KISEOP NO!" Jekyung cried.

"Guess he's not such a good friend, after all" her step father chuckled as he struggled to her jeans. 

This is it.... It's finally happening.

"I'm going to lose my ity to this disgusting man" she thought.

"And my mom will never believe me"

Jekyung was lost in thought and didn't care what he did to her anymore when she heard the shattering of glass. Bits and pieces of broken glass flew around her room while water sprinkled her exposed skin. Her step father had froze, then collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Jekyung looked up to see Kiseop. He had hit her step father over the head with a vase. 

He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to risk killing him on accident. 

But Jekyung was worth it. 

Jekyung finally wrapped her head around the fact that it was over and shivered profusely, pulling her pants up around her hips and covering her chest with her blanket. 

"Kyung.. It's okay now. You're safe.. Let's go call an ambulance" Kiseop cooed as he held his hand out to help Jekyung up. Blinded by fear and hatred for her step father, Jekyung slapped Kiseop's hand away

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!" she screamed, fresh tears collecting in her eyes. Kiseop threw his hands up over his head and started to back away.. 

"Okay.... Okay..." he complied. "I'm gunna go call an ambulance.. Stay right there" 

Jekyung listened as best as she could while she heaved breaths in and out, shivering, and sobbing. And like that, Kiseop bolted into the kitchen to call for help. 

-----

Jekyung sat on the sidewalk outside her house, watching her mom cry over her husband, who still hadn't woken up. She had no idea what had really happened. But if she did, she wouldn't be crying over him. She'd personally roll his body over a cliff

She'd find out soon enough

The only thing Jekyung wondered was whether she'd believe it or not

After getting asked questions from the police and finding out that Jekyung's step father would be alright, Kiseop approached Jekyung slowly, who looked down at the ground, completely zoned out. "Jekyung?" Kiseop asked, but got no response.

He decided to sit down next to her. But Jekyung cringed. "Don't touch me" she repeated. Kiseop shot up to his feet. "Okay..." Kiseop respected her wishes and sat about five feet away from her, just far enough so they could talk. 

"Everything is going to be okay now. Once your mom finds out, you won't have to go through this again" Kiseop explained, feeling relieved that it was finally true. She was free. 

"Is he dead?" she asked quietly

"...No.." Kiseop looked down, thinking Jekyung would rather have him dead considering how much she hated him..

"Good..." she said blankly

Kiseop looked up at her. "Good?" he asked

"The last thing I want is for you to get charged with manslaughter" Jekyung said, finally looking up from the ground to look at Kiseop. "Yes, I'm happy too" Kiseop let out a humorless laugh. "You won't ever have to go through this again. I promise you that.." he continued. Jekyung sighed and looked back down. 

"Thank you" she said in almost a whisper. Kiseop only smiled. 

"HONEY!" Jekyung's mother ran up to her daughter to grab her shoulders. "Tell me what happened! Why is your father hurt? Were you guys robbed?" she asked, then looked over at Kiseop. 

"Is this your doing, Kiseop!? Did you harm my husband!?" she started to raise her voice. "Yes ma'm.. I am the reason your husband is injured" Kiseop said confidently, which caught Jekyung off guard. 

"Explain yourself.. Or I'm charging you with assault!" she stood up and looked down at him. 

"He was planning on me" Jekyung spoke up, to which Kiseop and her mother both looked at her. "W-What?"

"He was going to steal what is, and still is, rightfully mine.. Thanks to Kiseop" Jekyung went on. Mrs. Han felt tears in her eyes. 

"He was there for me.. And you weren't" Jekyung added.. "And I don't expect you to believe me.."

"I saw it with my own eyes, ma'am" Kiseop chirped in. 

She had heard enough, Mrs. Han ran into the house, sobbing. Kiseop and Jekyung looked at each other. "I think we just succeeded in breaking her heart.." Jekyung sighed. 

"... Again" Kiseop added. Jekyung looked up at him and sighed, finally able to look at him properly. 

-----

After the weekend had passed, Kiseop had gathered his things from Jekyung's house to finally move back in with his mother, which made Jekyung happy, but also made her realize that she didn't want him to leave. As selfish as it sounded, she was going to miss waking up and eating breakfast with him.

-----

"Are you guys ready??" AJ beamed as Jekyung and Luna changed into their outfits backstage. "Ready as I'll ever be" Luna smiled as Jekyung zipped up the back of her white dress. "Luna.. You look.." AJ stopped and looked Luna up and down.

"Beautiful? Yeah, we know" Jekyung giggled while Luna blushed

It had been almost a month since Jekyung's incident with her step father and she was seeing a therapist twice a week. She was happy that she was getting better, but she went back to her old self, not letting anyone touch her, especially men, including all her guys friends, even Kiseop

Since Kiseop had moved back in with his mom, he had stopped talking to Jekyung every day purposely, hoping to give her space to recover. But, just as before, she missed him, now more than ever. 

"Is Kiseop coming tonight?" Luna asked as they stood backstage, waiting for 7pm for the show to start. "He said he couldn't make opening night.. But he'll try to make any other night" Jekyung shrugged, feeling disappointed that he wasn't going to be watching. At least her mom was here. 

Finally, the show started and thankfully, everyone remembered their lines. In order of appearence, AJ was first, Luna was third, and Jekyung was fifth. 

During one of the final scenes where Jekyung delivers her monologue, she looked out at the audience but didn't take time to look at any faces, since it would be distracting. Her monologue, along with the play itself, was a comedy, so there were plenty of laughs. Jekyung recognized Soohyun's right away, since he and Jekyung agreed that he would laugh louder than anyone else at everything funny she said. 

During act three, when one of the cast members delivered a funny line, the audience shrieked with laughter. Jekyung could hear Soohyun's laugh, her mother's laugh, and 

"Kiseop's?" she thought. She shook her head lightly, hoping no one saw her break her character. "No.. I'm just hearing things. He said he couldn't make it tonight. I just miss him.." she thought and went on with the show.

Once the show was over and all the community members had left, leaving only family and friends of the cast to wait for them backstage, Jekyung was one of the last to change back into her street clothes and tidy up her collections of costumes. As she walked into the audience, she saw Soohyun chatting with AJ. "I'll talk to him later.. Where's my mom?" she thought. Finally, she spotted her mom

Standing behind her.. Was Kiseop...

Holding a bouqet of roses...

Jekyung gasped and walked closer to her mother for a warm and much-needed embrace. "You did wonderful, sweetie" Jekyung's mother smiled into her daughter's jacket. Jekyung felt tears reach the brim of her eyes as she looked over her mother's shoulder at Kiseop, who only smiled lightly, slightly holding out the flowers for her to take. Jekyung finally let go of her mom and walked closer to him as she wiped her eyes of small tears.

"You liar.. You said you couldn't make it tonight.." Jekyung blushed. 

"That's right.. I lied. But I wanted to make it a surprise.." Kiseop declared, stretching his arms farther, flowers still in hand. Jekyung smiled and took the roses from him, raising them up to her nose to sniff them.

As much as Jekyung wanted to hug Kiseop, she was still on edge, and she could tell Kiseop understood since he clearly kept his distance. Jekyung admired Kiseop's respect for her. 

But she didn't want that respect anymore.. 

She wanted him to touch her

-----