[Momo's POV]

My body feels heavy as I wander through the streets. My hood is up and I look only at the ground passing beneath my feet. I hear happy laughter all around me, but all I can feel is pain. It’s been two weeks since I messed up with Mina and still haven't seen her again. She didn’t come to the parking garage anymore, but who’d blame her. I was a complete and utter to her.

In that time, I had never thought that Taecyeon would reach out to me, but he does. He and Wooyoung say that they’d like to meet up, so I said yes. If they were giving me another chance to apologize, then I’d take it.

“Come on. I hate this awkward mood right now,” Wooyoung tries to encourage us to speak.

I sit with my hands in my lap and my gaze is on the food on the table. I don't dare to look up.

“Come back to the gym. Boss and I need you. Let’s start all over again. Yeah?”

I glance up at Wooyoung in surprise. That was the last thing I had expected to talk about at the moment.

I don’t answer, I just say that I’m sorry again.

“I’ll ask one question and that’s it. Where have you been all this time?” Taecyeon asks. It was nice being around the man, he tended to be as forward as possible.

I sigh and pour Taecyeon another drink.

“If you’ve got nothing to say, then I’m leaving.” Taeyceon stands, but stops when I open my mouth.

“Boss.” I pause and exhale loudly. “I was in prison.” I hear Wooyoung gasp and Taecyeon sits back down. I look straight into Taecyeon brown eyes. “For four years and three months.” I lower my gaze and stare at the food again.

[Flashback]

“ it all.” I pick up the beer from the bar counter and down it all at once. I’m dressed in all black and wear a hat to cover my eyes. Just a week ago I quit boxing and now I’m here. I’ve turned to beating people up just to collect their debts. It’s not good work, but I do make good money. For once I’ve found a use for my strength.

I leave the bar and go to a local convenience store and take a seat outside of it. I shiver as the coolness of the plastic chair hits my body. I don’t wait long for the person I was waiting for to walk by. He’s older, probably in his late forties or fifties. He’s dressed in an oversized workers jacket and his hair is overgrown. It sticks up in every which way and he looks haggard.

I stand from the seat and let out a heavy sigh. I begin to walk towards him as he stares me down. Sadly the man sprints away, making my job much more difficult. In no time, I catch up with him in a dark alleyway that has a dead end.

Junk is all around us and he begins to pick up things, throwing them at me. But I just swat them away as he tries to defend himself.

I step closer and punch him hard straight across his cheek. He falls back into the garbage with a groan. I look around me quickly to make sure no one is going to see and I continue my work. I kick him hard in the stomach over and over. I pick him up and drag him back to his house that is right around the corner. No one really pays us any mind, since this isn’t one of the best neighborhoods.

I set him on the floor and stand across from him.

“I sent my kids to an orphanage,” he starts. “My wife ran away.” Blood drips from a cut on his eyebrow and from his lip. “You’re parents must have sung lullabies to you. But I can’t do that now...” He breaks into tears and his body shakes. He digs into his pocket and throws a small amount of money at me. “This is all I’ve got!”

He tries to win me over and make me pity him, but I don’t. “Nobody sang a damn lullaby to me,” I say with no emotion. “I’m an orphan,” I admit to him. I pull my arm back ready to hit him, but stop when I hear a knock on the door.

“Hey, open the door!”

“Who the hell?!” I shout.

[Flashback End]

I sit and stare at the man being washed by a nurse. He has burn scars all over his body and it pains me to see them.

The nurse turns to me. “Momo. I told you you look much better when you smile!”

I flash my lopsided grin at her to make her happy.

She points at me and smirks. “You see? You have to keep that smile!”

I’ve known her ever since I was a child and she’s one of the only people I truly trust.

She picks up something from a cupboard and hands it to me.

“What’s this Irene?” I ask as I take it from her.

“Some of the children made this. Got a girlfriend to give it to?” she asks in a teasing tone.

I look up at her and sigh. It’s a beautiful, handmade headband and yeah I have someone in mind to give it to. But I highly doubt Mina want to see me at all. Maybe it's worth a try though.

////

[Warning: Attempted , this chapter can be triggering for some, so I wanted to let you all know.]

[Mina's POV]

“Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.” I finish counting and turn to the left. I unlock my door and open it slightly, but freeze. I hear the clink of a bottle hit the railing of the stairs and my body tenses. I turn around, my fists clenched. “Who is it?” I ask forcing my voice to be steady.

“So you’re living here,” Mingyu's voice reaches my ears.

“Mr. Kim?”

“Why did you lie?” I can hear him step closer. I can smell the alcohol on his breath. “You don’t have any plans after work,” he whines. “Let’s have tea together.” He pushes past me and jerks my door open. I lean against the wall outside my place and try to steady my breathing. After a moment I steel myself and go in.

I pour some juice into a glass and hand it to Mingyu. “Sorry there’s no hot tea. I-I can’t use the fire,” I explain.

“Sorry I didn’t even think about that.” It’s weird because he actually sounds sincere. “Must be scary to live alone.”

I close the carton of juice and return it to the refrigerator. I then walk back towards the small living area and kneel on the floor. I don’t dare sit next to the man on my couch.

“Was it during college? The accident that is.” My heart sinks just thinking about it. “I’m so sorry. The boys must have been crazy for you.”

I steel my nerves and speak. “Please leave now. Does your wife know what you’re doing?!”

He scoffs. “I got divorced recently for beating up my wife,” he says without any compassion or guilt.

I hear him move from the couch and feel his arms around me. I tense and try to push him away.

“You really don’t know how pretty you are.”

I push harder and lash out. I feel his skin under my nails as they slash over his cheek.

He groans as he gets up from the floor.

I yelp as I feel the sting from being slapped hard across the face. I fall to my hands and knees and tears run down my cheeks. I hear a glass smash against the wall and I begin to crawl away. I’ve lost all direction now and don’t know where I am.

“This isn't a one time thing for me!” he shouts. “I can buy much prettier girls for that.” He crawls after me and his voice gets closer. “You need to know how I feel about you!”

I reach my jacket that's on the ground and grab my mini alarm. I pull the plug and the sharp ringing fills the small apartment. He punches me and my head slams against the ground. I hear the alarm smash against the hardwood flooring and the ringing stops. I slide backwards over the floor on my back, scrambling for anything to use to defend myself.

“Want me to you?! Is that what you want?”

I’m overwhelmed with fear as I feel his hands around my wrists. He tightens his grip and forces them against the floor above my head.

“Please stop. Please stop,” I beg through my sobbing.

“STOP RIGHT NOW!”