Chapter 10

Later that night, mom asked to help her with the dishes in which I complied. Though I was tired from all the drama at school, I felt I bit generous and grateful that I have two very supportive parents back at home. So I did what I thought would lessen the weight on their shoulder. That’s the least I could do.

“How was school today honey?” mom questioned me as she was wiping the wet plates.

‘…’ I thought to myself, my eyes grew bigger trying to come out with the best lie. I hummed to her in response as I clean the dishes at hand. “Well other than the stacking homework, everything else is fine enough” I answered and felt satisfied with the lie. I mentally pat myself in the back.

My mom let out a brief chuckled and smiled at me, “You were never one to like homework...” she stated.

I turned my head to look at her face, curious of what she meant by that.

“I still remember the very first day you went to school when you were 7. You were a bundle of joy, you just can’t stay quiet. You like to jump around and play even if it means playing with yourself. You would be fine with it…” she stopped and smiled at the memories in her head. Mom turned her attention to me and touched my cheeks, caressing it gently before pulling back.

“When you came back home, you threw away your bags and told me you don’t want to go to school again because a teacher gave you works to do at home. You were that rebellious sweetheart” she added and smiled as she shook her head.

I chuckled in return and smiled sheepishly at her, “You’ve never told me about this mom” I remarked.

“Well you never asked” she said and asked me to continue studying upstairs. I complied but let’s be real, the first thing I did when I got to my room was to plopped myself on the bed like a squid.

A sigh came out of my lips without me realizing it. ‘I don’t like today’ I thought to myself and the scenes of what happened at school replayed in my mind like a DVD player. “UGH….” I rolled on the other side of my bed and rubbed my feet on the comforter softly. It’s a habit I picked up when I was a child; somehow, it gives me a weird pleasure.

A sudden text tone from my phone woke me up from my thoughts.

Hana texted me Kai’s phone number with another, ‘I had to poker faced myself out of this when Suho asked why I wanted it. Apparently, Kai doesn’t give his number to people so you’re on this by yourself when he kills you’

I rolled my eyes at that and dialled to call his number confidently. He can’t do anything, that’s the one important fact I know. He needs my help and if I were him, I wouldn’t want to be on my bad side.

At the last ring before it went to voicemail, he answered.

“Who is this?” his voice was rough and it was loud behind. Wherever he was at, it must’ve been a big and wild party.

“It’s Violet. I need to meet you and it’s urgent” I commanded.

Kai gave a sarcastic chuckle, “Wow why the rush? I’m busy, talk to me when I’m not” he said monotonously. I heard a girl’s voice from the line and the image of what she’s doing to him brutally scarred my mind.

“Look Kai, this is important. You ask me to give you an answer and I want to give mine. So it’s either you take it now or leave it forever” I said firmly to him. I was starting to get annoyed of how irresponsible he was.

I can hear his irritated groans before he spoke “Fine, then meet me in fifteen minutes at Hangang Park.”

Before I could tell him how dangerous it is for me to walk at night or inform him the fact that I don’t have any transport, he ended the call. Just like that. How annoying and arrogant could he get before the world finally burry him alive 7 feet under?

I kicked my legs out of frustrations.

I read the time displayed on the screen of my phone, 11:47pm. What was he even thinking? It’s nearly midnight and he expected us to meet at a place where most of the unpleasant news took place. Also, how would I even find a way to sneak out of the house without my parents knowing?

‘Should I ask Kim’s help? Or Kris? Or should I just sneak out and find a cab?’ I thought to myself.

The idea of sleeping was appealing to my mind but it was my one shot, and I needed to talk to him. Badly.

 So I did the unthinkable.

I found myself sneaking out through the kitchen’s window trying the best not to make the slightest sound that would exceed 10 decibels. I jumped out of the window pane and yelped at the painful impact on my feet. I could hear my heart beating out loudly; it felt like it would burst out of my chest. I was incredibly nervous and I could feel the sweats on my palms. Zipping up my sweater and putting on the hoodie, I put a poker face on and jumped out of the gates of my house.

‘Well there’s always a first of everything’ I thought to myself.

Fastening my pace, I walked to the nearest bus stop and I guess luck was on my side because the bus was already there. As I entered the bus, I gave the driver a smile before I chose the last seat at the back. He was an old man probably in his late 40s with wrinkles and an exhausted face.

He must’ve been thinking what a young girl like me doing late at night, out and about all alone. Oh well. I nodded to the bus driver as a sign of gratitude before I walked out of the bus. I found myself at the bus stop of the famous Hangang Park.

It was quiet at night compared to how it was in the evening. The winds were blowing the dried leaves away, pointlessly without any direction. It was a chilly cold night and the only source of light came from the bright moon and the bokeh city lights. ‘Why don’t they switch on the lamppost?’ I asked myself feeling scared of whatever possibilities that may happen.

I walked along the pathways, leading me nearer to the lake.

Standing there all alone, I looked at the scenery in front of me. Though it was dark, it was more beautiful than it had ever been. The city looked too peaceful. Dark windows and empty roads. Tall buildings were refracted by the lake. It was vague, yet it was clear.

I thought to myself, if I were to grow up one day to be a successful person, will there be another person standing exactly at the spot I was standing and look at the dark window of my penthouse. Would be they be standing for a reason? Or would they be standing here because they have no more reason?

I realized I had been standing there, waiting for too long that I lost track of time. Switching on my phone, I looked at the time displayed at the top; 00:47.

‘He’s late’

***

Kai was sitting on a luxurious sofa; he could still hear the loud bass playing. He knew he was at a party. He knew he was drunk. He knew he was wasted. He knew he was half conscious. He also knew he had promised someone. He just couldn’t process, ‘who?’