Days pass and then the door slams closed. I walk out from my room to see Taemin standing in front of the front door. “Oh, Taemin. You’re back.”

“How could you tell them? Did you not hear one thing I said?” he says, walking towards me, an unfamiliar intense anger in his brown eyes.

“You didn’t explain why. And what’s so wrong with me telling them? They were just looking for you,” I say, pushing away the “something bad could happen” part that was replaying in my head.

He slaps me. “Do you have no idea what could happen because of this. I thought you loved me.”

“Taemin!”

He rolls his eyes and grabs my wrists.

“Let go of me!” I yell, trying to blink my tears back.

“As if. It’s your fault this is happening and you’re gonna pay for it,” he says, dragging me further into the house.

“I said let go of me,” I say, pulling even though his grip is too strong for me.

He throws me against a wall, shrugging. “Fine. I let go of you. Is that fine, yeobo?”

I aim to kick him, but he just grabs my foot. “Why are you doing this, Taemin? This isn’t like you.”

“I told you not to tell anyone I was here. But you went on and told them anyway.”

I wipe off my tears quickly with my forearm. “Can you at least tell me why I shouldn’t have told them!”

“I TOLD YOU TO TRUST ME!” He exhales and throws my foot back down, causing me to fall.

“Ow,” I mutter. “How’s about why you keep leaving and then coming and then leaving? Where the heck do you always go, Taemin?”

He sighs, running his hand through his black hair. Squatting down to my level, he says “I’ll be back in a few days. If someone asks you if you saw me, don’t tell them you did, ok?”

I huff, my tears finally stopping. “Fine.”

He smiles cutely. “Now be a good girl and stay safe. Saranghae,” he hugs me quickly and then walks out the door.

---