Save and Continue?

“Thank you again Mr. Byun, you didn't have to go this far,” Jindeok said as she sat down on the couch that was going to be her temporary bed for the next few days.

Paperwork at the police station took almost two hours and when she was finally done Mr. Byun took them out for dinner which was a painfully quiet affair. Jindeok did her best to eat, but her stomach was in knots and she didn't have much of an appetite. When they were done eating Jindeok returned to the Byun apartment with them where Mr. Byun gathered spare pillows and sheets to make up the couch.

Setting the folded blanket next to her on the couch Mr. Byun shook his head with a gentle smile. “Don't worry about it, it's my pleasure to help you.”

Jindeok ran her palm over the blanket next to her as she dropped her gaze to the cherry wood table a few feet in front of her. “Yeah, but it's not your problem or job to anymore,” she murmured more to herself.

Mr. Byun huffed as he perched himself on the coffee table, forearms resting on his knees as he folded his hands together. Jindeok flickered her gaze up to his face startled to see him looking at her with sad eyes that also showed a sort of love she only ever got from her friends. A lump formed in as she stared back at the older man with an anxiously beating heart.

“Jindeok,” he said softly. “I know things didn't end well between me and your mom, but that doesn't mean I stopped seeing you as family,” he stated. Jindeok opened to say otherwise, but he just shook his head again silencing her. Closing again she sat there like she was about to get a talking to from a parent, and in some ways she guessed she was. “I also know that I didn't exactly put effort into staying in contact, but I haven't forgotten that little girl who tried to bake me a cake for my birthday two years in a row, or how she got a holiday job to buy a gift for my son for his birthday. Jindeok you can count on us, you're not alone. You know that right?”

Jindeok locked her lower lip between her teeth as she turned her gaze to her lap. She felt like she failed somehow, like she had disappointed Mr. Byun, which she never wanted to do. In those two years she spent with the Byuns she watched the father praise and punish his son like a proper parent, while Jindeok got an advanced allowance when she got good grades and a short, heated phone call from her mother when she did something wrong. She had never gotten this sit down one-on-one talk before and she didn't know if she wanted to cry because she had disappointed the only guy she had as a father figure or because he remembered the burnt cakes she made for him.

“R-Really?” she squeaked out weakly, the tears welling up as she lifted her head.

Mr. Byun gave her a warm, gentle smile as he reached out and patted her head ruffling her hair. “Yes really, silly girl. You can come to me or Baekhyun if you ever need something, we'll be there for you from now on. I'm sorry we weren't before.” His eyes darkened with a guilty sadness that Jindeok didn't like seeing on the kind man's face.

As he retrieved his hand Baekhyun cleared his throat as he entered the living room. Turning Jindeok saw him holding some clothes in his arms as he stepped towards the couch. He stopped next to the coffee table where he held out the clothes to Jindeok.

“You can wear these, I think they should fit okay,” he muttered.

Taking the clothes Jindeok bobbed her head and said, “Thank you.” Blinking a few tears escape and she quickly ran the back of her hand over her cheeks wiping away the tears.

Mr. Byun stood from the coffee table and slid his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. “If you need anything else just knock on one of our doors, don't be shy.”

“Okay,” she sniffled.

“Then I'm off to bed. Goodnight you two.” Nodding to the both of them Mr. Byun turned and made his way to his room down the hall.

“I'm gonna go too,” Baekhyun said jabbing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the hall.

“Okay, goodnight Baekhyun,” Jindeok said softly.

Coughing he muttered a 'night, then left the living room.

Jindeok didn't move for a while, just staring down at the clothes in her lap. There was a white t-shirt with the graffiti like graphic on the front for The Eve and a pair of gray and orange basketball shorts. Comfortable sleepover that looked to be a size or two to big for her, but they were for pajama use so it didn't matter. Not that Jindeok cared anyway, anything was better then sleeping in skinny jeans and a bra.

When she was sure that no one was going to leave their room to use the bathroom Jindeok finally stood and made her way to change and wash her face. With her day clothes she folded them – hiding her bra in her pant leg – and sat them at the opposite end of the couch than the pillows. Unfolding the blanket Jindeok curled up on couch after flipping off the lights and stared into the darkness. She was too tired to think, so she blankly stared into the night watching the different shapes the never ending shadows made until she eventually fell asleep.

Yet even in sleep the shadows didn't stay away, they chased after Jindeok. They laughed like broken glass shattering and their footsteps sounded like a funeral march following her. When she would glance back over her shoulder she never saw a face just a black void that mocked her with more laughter. Then she started shaking and Jindeok couldn't stop it.

“–de