Bad Behavior
Chapter Four
Junhong POV

Believe it or not, my parents actually valued family a lot. Every year we threw big parties to get everyone together. Honestly, I thought it wa sa way for my dad to show off his money, but either way, I got to see my cousins and aunts, which was nice. It was times like that, that my mom and dad put on the doting parent act, however, which wasn’t as nice.

I became an actor for a few days whenever we had family over too. I smiled and hugged my parents and told everyone just  how happy I was. A few years before, it had been honest too. It wasn’t until I hit my teenage years that it became as fake as an idol’s height and weight stats.

Fortunately, I only had to do this a few times a year. Like everything else for them, it was on a schedule. Some of my extended family worked for the company, others had gone on to study abroad, or go into the entertainment business. Everyone was busy, and everyone was important.  But my dad was the big one. The head-honcho, the top dog, the big fish in the fry.

Because of that, he was always looked on like he had a freakin’ halo or something. He wore a smile perfectly. He walked the walk, talked the talk, and knew just how to sell the father-son act. He made me sick. I couldn’t stand him. Sober, drunk, acting, normal. Every face of his was just as bad as the rest. I wanted a real dad. One that wasn’t always concerned about appearances, but one that actually cared. The kind that asks about your day, and gives you advice about girls. You know, a normal person.

The other guys in my family weren’t too bad. My cousins were lucky that their dads weren’t the head of the company. Work had swallowed him up, and turned him into a different person. At least, that’s what I heard through the walls at night, when the nightly air raid was in process. The others? They cared about their kids, and about their wives. I couldn’t help but be jealous.

My solution was to not think about it too much. After all, I saw the family twice a year. All that time in between I just had to make it through one day at a time. That is, until things got mixed up.

“Noona’s coming!” Jongup told me excitedly as I munched on the toast he had given me. It was the third Monday since Bang Yongguk had become my tutor, and I was running out of time. I had to get him out, and quick.

“What? Why all of the sudden?” I asked. Noona was what we called my first cousin. Growing up, she had been like a sister to me, and always treated Jongup well too. If I didn’t know better, I would have said that Jongup had a crush on her, but Jongup wasn’t that kind of person. He was like a little kid. He admired people without ual connotations. In fact, I wasn’t too sure he had ever even had . Or kissed, or any of that. He was as innocent as they came.

“Your mother said that her marriage ended. He must have been a real bad mad.... Anyway, she’s coming to spend time with your mother for a few days,” Jongup explained. He quickly wrapped up my lunch and slipped it into my bag. He double checked to make sure all of my textbooks were in place, like he did every morning. He cared a lot more than I did, and if it wasn’t for him, I’d probably forget the entire backpack at home ninety-percent of the time.

Noona had always been my favorite cousin, so I couldn’t hide my excitement throughout the day. I didn’t think she’d be much fun because of her divorce; After all, it had made my tutor pretty temperamental, but just seeing her would be nice. She had never told us much about her husband, or brought him to the family gatherings. He wasn’t from some big family, we knew, and so he probably wouldn’t have fit in anyway.

The day went by quickly, and I hurried home. I didn’t live too far from school, so I normally walked. On rainy days, Jongup picked me up. And on exciting days like this, I ran most of the way home, even though it left me breathless and exhausted. Jongup clicked his tongue at me and hurried to get me some water as I dropped off my bag and rushed up stairs to change out of my uniform.

“When’s noona getting here?” I asked, downing the glass. Jongup took it and refilled it for me, wagging his finger disapprovingly.

“Ya... You’ll give yourself a stomach ache if you drink like that. And, I’m not sure yet. She called earlier and said she had to stop by the bank. She’ll probably show up while Mr. Bang is here.” That was exciting in itself. If she showed up during the lesson, I was sure that my mom would let me off early to welcome her. This day was really shaping up to be the best one in months.

He showed up at the same time he did everyday, but since I had hurried home, I had earned some extra time to watch T.V. before he arrived. He looked tired, like he did every monday. His clothes were wrinkled, and his roots showing worse than usual. It made me curious, but he moved straight into the lesson before I could get a word in.

I wasn’t sure what had him worked up, but he was particularly agitated that afternoon. He let me work through the homework mostly by myself, and seemed frustrated when I had a question. He even excused himself for a cigarette break while I worked on my algebra. I went with my better judgement for once, and let him be.

When he returned he mostly answered my questions with grunts and nods of his head, so I just stopped asking questions. Not even forty-five minutes had passed, and I was already bored out of my mind. I was practically jumping for joy when Jongup barged in with a bright smile. “Noona’s here! Noona’s here!” he exclaimed like a little kid. My face lit up, and confusion washed over Yongguk’s face.

“Calm down, Jonggupie,” she said as she entered the room. Her long hair had changed in color again, from a light blonde to honey brown. She looked as pretty as ever, dressed to impress, and not a single hair out of place. But it was hard to focus on her while Yongguk’s shoulders went rigid. In his seat, he grew stiff, and his jaw tensed up.

“Ah, Jieun-noona!” I said, attempting to ignore Yongguk’s strange body language, “Did the drive go well? Are you sleepy?” Out of the corner of my eye I watched as he began to gather up his books haphazardly, without a care for their binding or their pages. It was like he was in a desperate rush. Jieun didn’t reply, as she kept her eyes fixed on Yongguk as he rushed. He, on the other hand, refused to look at her.

“Tell your mother something came up.  Hyung has to go--- I won’t accept payment for today, I’m sorry,” Yongguk  mumbled, slipping his bag over his shoulder.

“Yongguk...?” Jieun said his name softly, and it made him freeze. “What are you doing...” He was gone before she could get the last word in, practically fleeing from the house. Worried, Jongup trailed after him a few steps, but stopped at the slam of the front door. Confused, we both looked to Jieun for an answer.

“Why... Why was that man here?” she asked, taking a deep breath. She stood as rigid as he had, her eyes still fixed on the chair where he had been sitting. Knitting my eyebrows together, I tried to put together the body language signs. They obviously knew each other, but it couldn’t be a good relationship.

“He’s Junhong’s tutor,” Jongup said for me, while I concentrated. “I wonder what’s wrong with him... He was upset today!” Jongup wasn’t as intuitive as me. Hell, he wasn’t intuitive at all. He hadn’t picked up on the tense air that made it hard to do things as simple as breathing. Innocently, he looked to Jieun for elaboration.

“We had to decide a property settlement today,” she said at last. “That’s probably why he was upset,” she added, nodding to herself. She tore her eyes away from the empty chair, and took a sudden breath. With the sharp inhalation, she began to walk across the living room, a click with each step. “That man, Bang Yongguk, is my ex-husband.”

With that, she was gone, going up the stairs to the guest room she always used, leaving Jongup and I speechless. His eyes were as big as dinner plates, and mine were no better, I’m sure. Neither of us could speak up, unable to find words due to our confusion. Jongup was used to not understanding complicated things, but I wasn’t. Her announcement, so casual, so subtle, was impossible for me to comprehend.

Bang Yongguk was the man who had broken my cousin’s heart. Yet, he was the one who wore looks of anguish on his face. She had felt upset enough to end their marriage. Yet, he hadn’t said a single word against her in the weeks I had known him. She looked calm, collected, and confident. And him? At every turn his actions screamed that he was falling apart. Something just didn’t add up.

I stared at the wall, concentrating hard on the textured paint while I thought. In my mind a montage played of a young Yongguk proposing to my baby-faced cousin. It moved into the first few months of newly-wed life, and they were smiling. Then the fights began, and I pictured them hurting, Jieun hurting on the inside but looking like a perfect wife on the outside, and Yongguk hurting inside and out and going to work each day. Just thinking about it made me sick.

I really didn’t like how the idea of failing marriages had become a common day practice for me.

I felt a hand running through my hair, which was falling since I had curled it in the morning. I looked up and was faced with Jongup’s honest smile. “Let’s make something tasty for noona, alright?” he suggested. To Jongup, food was the way anything from a broken heart to a broken leg. Sure, he was a little slow, but he still had the ability to make me grin despite the situation at hand.

Cooking was a good distraction. Between measuring cups and mixers, Yongguk and Jieun both left my mind. Instead, I focused on Jongup who made baking look indefinitely easier than it really was. He cracked eggs and mixed the batter faster than I could blink, and filled each cup to an uniform amount, as if there was an invisible line that stopped him each time. My twelve cupcakes on the other hand... Some ended up too full, others not full enough.

When we pulled them out of the oven, my face was burning hot from embarrassment, but Jongup only laughed. “Nothing some frosting can’t fix,” he assured me. And sure enough, Jongup didn’t say anything without a personal mission to deliver just that. Even my deformed stupid cupcakes looked great after he doctored them up with the sugary substance.

“Aigoo, so messy~” he hummed, wiping my cheeks free of flour. I squirmed, pushing him away, feeling oddly childlike. Jongup had that effect on people; being around him just made everything seem simpler. I don’t know how I would have  made it without him honestly.

“Go get washed up for dinner,” he told me. I obliged,  but not before snatching one of his perfect cupcakes. He shouted after me about ruining my dinner but I sprinted up the stairs before he could stop me.

Grinning to myself, I peeled the wrapper away and bit into the sweet treat. Heading toward my room I heard a soft whispering that caused me to stop. Drawing closer to the source, I saw Jieun on the guest bed speaking softly into the phone. “Himchan, could you save it?” Her voice was aggravated, but still soft and controlled. “Just let me talk to Yongguk.” Frowning, I dropped my eyes to the ground. I felt bad for eavesdropping on her, but for some reason I couldn’t pull myself away.

“Ya, Kim Himchan. I mean it. If this is his crazy attempt to prolong things between us, it’s a joke, and I’m not laughing. He can’t just start working for my family after a divorce; That’s not how these things work.” She spoke swiftly and articulately, not a single word missed.

I could hear Himchan’s reply loud and clear, even in the hallway.

“You’re awfully egotistical aren’t you? You bi---”

My body moved on its own. Some instinct kicked in and I pushed into the room, taking the phone from her. Shocked, she watched me with wide eyes as I shouted into the receiver. “Don’t you dare talk to her like that, Kim Himchan! I’ll tell my father,” I spat. “Tell Bang Yongguk not to come around anymore, I don’t want a sleazy guy tutoring me.”

I hung up before he could reply. Shoving the phone back toward her, I let out a frustrated sigh. “Junhong---”

“The problem’s better, right?” I cut her off. “That man won’t come around you anymore, or your family. That’s what you wanted, right, noona?” Jieun opened , but didn’t reply. I placed the cupcake in her free hand, having lost my appetite. “Eat this! Jongup and I made them together.”

I scurried out of the room before she could reply and went to change my clothes. I didn’t understand at the time why I was so worked up over it. I hadn’t any reason to be angry, and it really wasn’t any of my business, but I was so angry I was shaking. I wanted to hit him. To make him apologize for wronging her. Anything, I just wanted to do something instead of being so helpless.

Deep down, I knew it reminded me of how my mother put up with my dad’s . Whatever had gone wrong, it had to be his fault, I was sure. It seemed like it was always the man’s fault. Bang Yongguk hadn’t shown his ugly side to me, but I didn’t need to witness it; I knew it was there.

My mother came home, and dinner began better than normal. With Jieun there, the conversation was lively. My father was away on business, and so there was no negativity in the room. We were all laughing and smiling gathered around the table, Jongup included. It was nice, and it felt better than any dinners over the past years.

That is, until the inevitable topic came into discussion. It was my mother who brought it up, and Jongup who dropped the bomb and said that it was Yongguk who had wronged my cousin.. Jieun was more willing to talk with my mother there, probably one of those girly connections or something. But before we knew it, we had all put down our chopsticks to listen to her words, like we were gathering around for a morbid story-time.

“At first Yongguk was great... We had been dating since our first year of university. He proposed after he had gotten a job at another university, and we put down a payment on the house right away,” she explained, not really looking at any of us, but right above us, like they tell you to do when you’re reading reports to the class. “We got married a few months later in a little ceremony. Mother and father didn’t approve, you know... That’s why I never brought him around.”

As we moved through the story of her marriage she became more nervous, her eyes not remaining in one place for a single second. None of us interrupted, and let her talk. “After the first two years, it was like he had married his job, not me,” she said at last, getting to the juicy details. “He was never around, and when he was around he was too ‘tired’ to talk.”

I glanced over at my mother who gave Jieun a sympathetic look, and Jongup who hung on her every word. That was when things started to go sour. “Then he started drinking. He had always done that, but soon it was every night. He always worked late, and then he’d come home and start drinking and go to sleep.” Jieun hung her head. “The weekends were okay, but soon he started to go in then, too.”

My mother looked ready to cry, and Jongup was no better, but I sat with raised eyebrows. “So... You divorced him because you were lonely? Leaving because you were lonely... That doesn’t make any sense.” The glare I recieved from my mother was intense, and made me squirm. I really couldn’t help it though! It had just slipped out.

“Junhong!” she hissed, squeezing my shoulder to shush me. Once again, I became angry, pulling away from her.

“Working a lot... So, he was trying to support you? You left him because he was trying to get ahead for you?” The words just kept coming, and Jieun watched my like a child who had been slapped by her parents. “Che... Divorce is serious, you know! But you obviously weren’t serious about the marriage either... Why do women always accept proposals if they don’t expect to go forever?”

I was displacing my frustrations. We had learned about that in health class. It was when you reacted inappropriately something small and pooled all of your frustrations from something else into it. I was so sick of adults and their problems. I was sick of marriages, and divorces, and adults who thought they knew everything when they couldn’t make simple things like schedules work out.

“Junhong!” Her voice dripped with malice and she reached out for me. I got to my feet faster and glared at Jieun.

“Maybe it’s good that you left him, maybe now you’ll grow up, noona.”

I had no idea what I was saying or doing. It was like I wasn’t in control of my mouth anymore and it was just shooting off however it wanted. I didn’t even like my tutor, but here I was, defending him over my cousin whom I adored, in a divorce that stood on stupid grounds.

“Choi Junhong go to---”

“Already going.”

I left like that, stomping up the stairs, leaving a tense silence. Slamming my door, I my fist at the wall again at again. I punched the wall until my hand was sore and my arm was tired. It helped a little, and I collapsed on my bed. There was a pounding in my head and in my chest as I rode out the aggravated fit.

Except, it wasn’t a fit. It wasn’t a tantrum. I knew that it wasn’t. I had been in this ‘fit’ for two whole years, but it was beginning to become too much. Everyday with my parents was suffocating me, and now even little things were setting me off.

Without any acknowledgement, tears rolled down my cheeks. There was nothing to cry over, yet they still fell. I was mentally fatigued, but my thoughts wouldn’t stop racing around. I felt dizzy, and tired, and roaring mad all at the same time.

Hearing footsteps quickly advancing toward my room, I closed my eyes. The door opened, and I slowed my breathing. “Junhong.” It was my mother. “I know you aren’t sleeping.” I didn’t move, not even a twitch. She let out a sharp sigh.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you these past few weeks, but it has to stop or there are going to be serious consequences. I’m sick and tired of this bad behavior,” she lectured. I still didn’t dare to so much and move a finger. I couldn’t face her then, with my face still puffy from the tears. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway; I was just a teenager, it was just moodswings.

Another sigh and she left. I kept my eyes closed in case she planned on coming back to catch me in my act, but soon pretending became reality and I fell into a restless sleep.

When I woke up my mouth tasted bad, and my eyes were heavy. It was a slow process getting out of bed, as my eyes stung each time I opened them. Blinking back into vision I glanced at the clock. It was past midnight, but I knew I had to fix my mistake. Cautiously peeling myself off the mattress, I peered into the dark hallway.

With my father out of town, there was no fighting. Jieun’s door was closed carefully this time, and my parent’s room showed no signs of life stirring within. Jongup would have left hours ago, so I was safe. Moving with great care, I snuck down the corridor and the stairs. It was late, but I was sure he’d be awake.

Slipping into my father’s office, a place I was forbidden to be, I quickly made my to the desk. Just being in the room made me feel nervous so I wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. Digging through the drawers, I found Himchan’s number in no time. Being a head of a company, it was important to have a lawyer at quick disposal, I suppose.

Pulling out my phone I dialed the number. The first attempt failed, and I was put through to an answering machine. Swearing under my breath, I tried again, not stopping consider the fact that he might have been sleeping. He had to be with Yongguk; where else could a best friend be after a run in with your ex-wife?

It took three whole tries before an aggravated Kim Himchan answered the phone. “What? Who is this? I’m busy!” he spat. Swallowing hard, I realized that in my sleepy state, I hadn’t stopped to think this through.

“Umm...”

“Is this a prank call? Huh? Do you think I can’t find out who this is, you punk?”

“You should of seen her Himchan, it was terrible!” slurred a voice in the background. My heartbeat picked up as I heard the familiar deep voice, even raspier now than normal.

“Is Mr. Bang okay?” I blurted. Himchan shushed Yongguk who continued to murmur some place near the phone. It was quiet other than that, so I knew they weren’t in a bar at least.

“Junhong? Himchan questioned.

“Yes! Is he okay?”

Himchan groaned on the other end of the line, but I couldn’t really blame him. I had spoken without thinking before, without knowing half the story. I still didn’t know why I was siding with Yongguk over my cousin, but I felt like I had something to make right. “Can... I say something to him?”

“Look, Junhong-ah,” Himchan said, replacing his harsh tone with a softer one, “Yongguk isn’t himself right now. I don’t expect a kid like you to understand but---”

“He doesn’t understand either. That’s why he’s drinking, to forget. I know how adults work, hyung,” I interjected. Beside him, Yongguk raised his voice, shouting something I couldn’t quite understand and getting a shout in return from Himchan. “Please. I want to apologize.”

Himchan was quiet for a few seconds, before drawing a deep sigh. There was a rustle, and suddenly there was a heavy breathing on the receiver. “Who is this?” Yongguk asked in a gravely voice.

“Mr. Bang?” I cleared my throat to stall for time as I thought of something to say. “It’s Junhong... I... Don’t worry about coming into tutor me for the next few days. I’ve got the flu, and I won’t be going to school.” Yongguk hummed into the receiver and slurred as he asked for Himchan to refill his drink.

“Drink a lot tonight,” I told him, fiddling with the zipper on my hoodie. “And tomorrow, eat black bean noodles. You’re single now, but Jieun-noona isn’t worth your liver... Hyung.” I wasn’t sure if her was listening, but that was the best I could do. The title seemed unnatural in my mouth, and left me feeling awkward as I waited for him to say something. I could only hear the sound of gulping and swallowing.

“You’re a good kid.”

Himchan took the phone back after that, and we said a quick goodbye. Afterwards, I just sort of sat in my father’s chair, staring at nothing in particular at nearly one in the morning. I had always been told that that my teenage years would be the best ones of my life, and once they were gone, I’d miss them... But I found that hard to believe at time like this.

I didn’t want to be a kid anymore, but I didn’t want to be an adult either. I just wanted to press a reset button and be a baby. Everything was nice for babies. Rubbing my temples as I went, I stalked back up the stairs and fell into the bed. Yongguk’s drunken compliment hung in my mind. Not many people called me a good kid. There was Jongup and... Well, Jongup. My teachers thought I was bratty, and I stayed away from the other kids as much as possible. It was obvious what my parents thought of me, so my hyungs words stood out to me.

Me? A good kid?

I decided not to read too much into and go back to sleep.

When morning came, my mother didn’t want to believe me when I told her I was sick, but I refused to move from my bed and she gave up. I wasn’t completely lying, I really did feel sick. Every time I looked at noona, I felt sick to my stomach. I was physically repulsed by her and her logic, to the point where I didn’t have the energy to deal with a collection of teeangers and snobby teachers.

I wasn’t even in the mood to talk to Jongup. The house was filled with an uneasy silence, and it wasn’t long until Jieun left. She only stayed for two days before she came up with some excuse about needing to visit her own parents now that she had taken back her estrangement.

It was the late morning after she had left when things became too sour to stomach.

With Jieun gone, there was no reason for my mother keep up the calm act. When I descended the flight of stairs for breakfast I was met with a rage that I had never seen from her. “Go get dressed,” she hissed, glaring up at me from the table. Jongup kept his eyes down. Just like dogs that knew when it was going to storm, he was aware that some serious was going to go down. “You’re going to school,” she stated assertively.

“I still feel sick,” I replied softly, running my fingers through my fading pink locks. She didn’t look amused as she strode over to me.

“Stop faking. I told you once, I’m sick and tired of you acting like this. Do you think it’s okay now that you’re older to act like this? It’s not, Junhong.” I glared at her as she took my arm in a vice grip pulling me toward the living room that connected to the upstairs. Stubbornly, I pulled my arm back.

“I’m sick mom, I’m not going to go!” I argued.

“I don’t want to hear it, Junhong. I’m not an idiot. You’re just trying to act up. You’re in big trouble for pulling that with Jieun-ah, I hope you realize that.”

I scoffed, turning my head to the side. “For what? Stating the truth? Three days ago you thought Mr. Bang was the greatest thing since sliced bread! He’s not a bad person,” I argued.

Her eyes narrowed into slits as as impatiently tapped her heels on the tile. “They never seem bad, but what if he got violent? What if he hit her?”

“Then why don’t you leave dad?”

Her reaction was immediate. Before I could even blink, her hand raked across my face so hard and sudden that I nearly stumbled. Jongup watched with wide eyes as we fell silent. “Don’t you ever talk like that again, do you hear me?”

I stared at her, a hand on my cheek. Her gaze didn’t waver, and I could see her shaking from anger. I had never seen my mother that way, but instead of standing in awe, I got angry too. Balling my fists I returned the glare. “I hear you. I hear you all the time, every night, mom.”

“Junhong!” Jongup gasped, trying to diffuse the situation, but it was too late. I left. I grabbed my board from the shed where Jongup always hid it, and I was gone. I didn’t care if my mother saw me on my board for once, I just had to get out of there, and forget the searing pain in my cheek.

I skated straight to the nearest skatepark and I boarded until my forehead was drenched with sweat and I was out of breath. I kept my inhaler with me at all times, shoved in the pocket of my pajama pants even, but I didn’t want to use it. I didn’t want to be tethered to anything. I just wanted to be a normal teenager, with normal parents, and a normal situation for ten minutes. So, I kept skating and skating, dipping down ramps and soaring through the air until I felt like puking.

Hours passed while I took out my frustration on the worn concrete and metal of the skatepark, and I hadn’t even noticed. When I literally couldn’t breathe, I took a break, and used my inhaler briefly. The irritation in my throat and lungs was so intense, but I was so dehydrated by that point I couldn’t even muster enough saliva to pacify my aching throat. At any other time, I would have enjoyed the sensation of working hard, but I wasn’t alone in the park.

“Well, well, well.”

My heart dropped into my stomach at the sound of a famiilar voice.

“Look, Kyung, the fairy boy came out of his fantasy world to play today~” hummed the voice as it drew closed. I closed my eyes, swearing inwardly. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could have made that day worse than a visit from Woo Jiho and his lackie, Kyung.

“You sure you should be out here? You might get dirty,” cooed the older boy as they circled around in front of me. I didn’t reply, glaring up at them as I took another hit from the inhaler. The irritating began to diffuse and my wheezing began to subside. They had brains about the size of that of a dog, so I figured if I was quiet they’d get bored and leave.

I was wrong

“Skipping school to come boarding? Wow, you really are amazing Choi Junhong! What’s your dad going to do this time to make up for it? Build a statue? Donate money?” Jiho drew closer to me, leaning in toward me. I leaned back, looking elsewhere. While distracted, Kyung snuck up and snatched my inhaler out of my hand. Laughing, he and Jiho began a game of keep away as I reached for it.

They tossed it back and forth, and I tried to intercept. “I need that,” I growled.

“Oh, well in that case...” Jiho said apologetically holding it out toward me. But just as I reached for it, he threw it with all of his might out into the street. My mouth hung slightly agape as I watched it the pavement. I heard the sound of a highfive behind me and laughter.

Had it been any other day,  I would have written it off as just Jiho. He had been that way ever since we had first met. He didn’t like me because I was rich, and he wasn’t. He had judged the book by its cover, but I didn’t want him come close enough to inspect any of my pages. He was a typical jerk, and Park Kyung was just a follower. I had gotten used to it, but today I wasn’t in the mood. I couldn’t handle their .

“What’s wrong?” Jiho hummed. “Won’t your daddy buy you another one?”

“At least my dad can afford to send me, and my mom doesn’t have to sleep with the principal to get the tuition taken care of.”

Kyung had to grab Jiho’s arms to keep him from attacking me right then. “You little !” Jiho shouted. He squirmed against Kyung’s grip and swiped at me. Grabbing my board I hurried out of there, forgetting thoughts of the near asthma attack I hadn’t quite recovered from. After all, if Woo Jiho and Park Kyung got ahold of me, I wouldn’t be breathing either, so I decided to take my chances with the asthma.

I knew I had made a mistake calling Jiho out like that. He was a guy with friends in low places; Really low places. I hadn’t thought it through, like so many things that week. I was beginning to question my own lucidity, but I tried to focus on getting away from them, since that was the problem at hand.

But somewhere deep in my gut, I had a feeling that things were about to curdle; and quickly.

I apologize if this chapter is a bit hard to follow! My writing ability has been spiraling downward lately. vxv ;; I'll try to update again soon!