I'm Sorry
My Boyfriend's Best Friend
Taemin stood in a dark street as the rain pummelled the pavement and drenched his hair, causing it to fall into his eyes. Of course it was raining. It seemed to always rain when something important was going to happen.
Taemin sighed, trudging along the street. Normally, he was the smiling-and-occasionally-clueless maknae, but today his eyes were both tired and solemn. He had something he needed to do.
Anger seared inside him. He had visited the police station that day to file a report with Sulli. To his dismay, it hadn't gone the way he wanted.
*****
Sulli and Taemin sat in front of the police detective's desk. When they had sat down, Taemin had taken Sulli's small hand between his palms. He hoped that if they were at least physically connected, he could provide some support to her.
The purpose of their visit to the police department was to press charges against the low-life Donghyeon. Just the thought of him, what he had tried to do, made Taemin tense with fury. Unfortunately, however, their meeting with the police was not going as well as they had anticipated.
"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Taemin voice trembled with progressing anger.
"The evidence against Mr. Chu Donghyeon is minimal," the middle-aged police officer tried to explain. "For starters, it would only be classified as an attempted crime. Additionally, the crime was not reported immediately and there is no physical evidence of any wrong-doing. I'm afraid there isn't enough to go on for the police department to be able to make an arrest."
Taemin felt that impulse he only felt when he was absolutely infuriated. The impulse that made people slam doors, throw things and hit other people. A violent impulse, blinded by rage.
He swallowed, trying to keep his cool. His girlfriend could have been violated, traumatized. She WAS traumatized. He tried to force images of what could have happened out of his head. As a male, he couldn't imagine being in her position. Why was this officer not empathetic? Did he not see how terrible the whole situation was?
As though reading his mind, the officer spoke again. "I know it seems harsh. Miss Choi, you have been through something extremely scarring. However, the law is the law and procedure is procedure. There is nothing more I can do."
Taemin still wasn't satisfied. He turned to Sulli, signifying that their next move was all her decision. He realized she had barely spoken through the whole meeting.
Her voice was quiet and somber. "Thank you for your time officer. We'll be going now."
By the end of her statement, he could detect a slight catch in her voice, as though her words had gotten stuck on a lump in .
Taemin followed her out of the station and into the parking lot.
"Are you okay?" He asked. As soon as those three words left his mouth, he knew he had broken her. When you ask someone on the brink of tears if they are all right, you strip them of their last defense.
He heard a small sob as she turned away from him, as if she didn't want him to see her cry.
"Sul," he said softly, pulling her towards him. She didn't resist, compliantly falling into his arms. He looked in her eyes and saw sadness. Her cheeks were marked by the trails the tears had left. Taking her face in his hand, he wiped a stray tear away with his thumb.
She didn't try to force a smile, simply rested her head against his shoulder. He could feel her shaking slightly as she sobbed silently. He didn't think it was because of their meeting with the police, he thought it was simply because of everything she had been through. Now she was letting it out.
"It's okay," he whispered soothingly. "You will always have me. I'm your boyfriend."
His words were meant as reassurance but, for a moment, it seemed as though his last sentence had only worsened her crying.
*****
The memory of that afternoon in the parking lot only reassured Taemin. He had to do this.
He pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. He squinted as he tried to see through the rain. Finally, he saw the place he was looking for. He strode up to the tall apartment building with eager steps. After he went inside out of the bad weather, he found the right appartment.
Taking a deep breath, he hesitated for a moment. A smidgen of doubt, like a bolt of lightning, flashed across his mind.
Ignoring the seed of doubt, he knocked on the door. It opened, revealing a boy with shaggy dark hair. He was wearing sweatpants and had a stupid arrogant expression plastered on his face. Taemin hated him on sight.
"I'm looking for Chu Donghyeon," he said coldly.
"That would be me." The boy's expression changed a bit, a hint of wonder creeping over his face.
"My name is Lee Taemin."
Recognition spread across Donghyeon's face, his smile returning. "I know that name. She mentioned you during our lovely evening together."
*Wait,* Taemin told himself, resisting that violent impulse.
"I hope you don't expect me to invite you in?" Donghyeon said sarcastically.
"I think you know exactly why I'm here," Taemin said, ignoring his rhetorical question.
Donghyeon grinned maliciously at him. "I knew the cops wouldn't do anything." He leaned against the door frame, almost daring the other boy to try something. "Are you here to take the law into your own hands? Kind of like how I took your girlfriend in my own hands?" He winked at him.
Taemin felt something erupt inside him, tearing his last layer of calm. His fist connected with Donghyeon's jaw, knocking him to the ground. Donghyeon recuperated, though his face was already bloodied from the one single hit.
But Taemin wasn't finished.
He attacked him with a series of punches.
For Sulli.
For touching her.
For hurting her.
While Sulli was the main reason for his assault, deeper reasons were hidden in his punches.
His jealousy.
His neglect.
The fact that Sulli hadn't called him.
She had called Minho.
For a moment, Donghyeon's bloody face disappeared, replaced by another image. His bestfriend's face. For a split second, he was punching Minho. Startled, he stopped, coming away from Donghyeon.
He stared at his hands, which had blood on them.
*I'm sorry,* he thought, though he was not sure who his apology was meant for.
Conflicted, confused and repulsed, he ran from the appartment and back into the rain.
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A/N: Soooo so sorry I haven't updated for a while. I was experiencing a bit of writer's block.
Yes, this chapter is a bit dark but I felt that the Sulli/Donghyeon topic was important enough that I needed to address it again.
At this point, the fanfic is more than half done. For you Minsul shippers, please know that you don't have very much longer to wait. For you Lunew shippers, I am not done with them either ;)
Please look forward to future updates!
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