Chapter Thirty Five

I stormed out of the bedroom, confused and disoriented. I went past the two figures, who immediately stood up from the couch upon seeing me.

“Hey. Where you going?” Tao asked me, catching up with me.
“Out.” I replied without looking at him, still heading towards the front door, keeping my face straight.

Tao ran past me and opened the door for me. Well, thanks for the courtesy.

*SPLAT*

“F.uck.”
“Shi.t."

I heard two consecutive cusses being expressed once the door opened.

“The f.uck?! Did you just shoot me?!” Tao spat at the figure standing in front of the door.

Kim Jongin did not reply instantly, because he was busy hissing in pain, carefully clutching onto his nose-
Oh my gosh. It’s bleeding.

Looked like Tao punched the tanned rodent on reflex.

“You shi.t. I was gonna shoot her.” Jongin uttered in between grunts as he looked at his bloodied pointer finger after lightly dabbing it onto his nostril.

“Hey. Who’s there?!” Ken came walking towards the door, eyeing the scene in front of us. 
“Oh. It’s one of the soccer punks.” Ken smirked in arrogance, still glancing at Kim Jongin.

Tao looked at his messed up top and glared at Kim Jongin once again. 

I noticed Kyungsoo coming towards the front door with my lateral view. Before he could even get close, I made my way beside the three figures by the door and strode towards the elevator quickly without looking back the scene. 

I don’t care about Tao’s dirtied top.
I don’t care about Jongin’s busted nose.
I don’t care about Kyungsoo following me right now as I walk towards the elevator.

“Seo Myunjae,” I heard him shout behind me.
“Myunjae,” He repeated calling me.

I did not stop. I quickened up my pace. What does he want now? What does everybody want now?

Everything was just becoming more difficult for me.
And now, I cannot simply get out.
What have they done to me?
What have you done to me, Kim Joonmyeon?

I pressed the elevator button. Once. Twice. Thrice. Several Times.
D.amn. D.amn. D.amn. Why don’t you open, you shirting elevator?!

I need time to think.
I need space to think.

I need….

“Seo Myunjae,” Kyungsoo snatched my wrist back forcefully.
“What is it?” My intonation increased as I faced him. Enraged. Perplexed. Fearful.

He looked at my eyes with what seemed to be a worried expression, searching for an ounce of hope for me to calm down.

“I…” Do Kyungsoo spoke.
“What?!” I replied to him, clenching my fist free from his grasp.

Why are they making it so difficult for me?
I didn’t ask for any of this.

“I…I just don’t want you to get hurt…” He started softening his tone while I still looked at him, panting and baffled. 

Angry.
Probably at Do Kyungsoo.
Probably at Kim Joonmyeon. 

“…if only you’ll…”

I heard the elevator door opening.
I shot Do Kyungsoo a look before facing forward once more, but he was still holding onto my wrist with so much force.

As I faced forward, I saw a lone figure on the elevator.

Kim Joonmyeon.

He shifted his gaze from the ground and took a quick second glance at me, at Kyungsoo, then at Kyungsoo’s grip on my wrist.

This is what I’m afraid of happening.
This isn’t what you think, Kim Joonmyeon. 

“Joonmyeon.” I heard Jongin speak, who was still, I presumed, in front of Kyungsoo’s room.

Before a word could escape from my lips, Kim Joonmyeon stepped out of the elevator, holding it open after pressing a button on the side.

Oh no. Please don’t tell me…
This is three taekwondo members against two soccer jerks.
This will be an unfair fight-

“Let go of my girl, Kyungsoo.”

I felt Kim Joonmyeon placing an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to his side.
Do Kyungsoo looked sternly at Kim Joonmyeon, clenching his jaw.

I observed the two of them. 

Do Kyungsoo’s gaze was somewhat scarily fierce and unyielding.
However, Kim Joonmyeon's gaze at Kyungsoo was not murderous in anyway.

It was unusually mocking, with a closed smirk playing on his lips.

The three other guys proceeded towards our spot, standing slightly at a distance. Watching the scene in front of them.
After a few number of seconds glaring at each other, Do Kyungsoo clenched his other fist before releasing my wrist.

“Whatever you’re telling her, it won’t work.” Joonmyeon uttered calmly, with that taunting smirk still plastered on his lips.

Do Kyungsoo smirked at his side for a short moment before giving a response. “I’m a step ahead of you, Joonmyeon.”
Kim Joonmyeon sighed a laugh once, looking at the ground, mumbling something. “Pathetic piece of shi.t.” based on what I heard beside me.

He looked at Do Kyungsoo again with that teasing, proud expression of his. “Actually, I’m the one who’s one step ahead.”

“You know, I’m just waiting for the day...” Kyungsoo coldly said. “…that you’ll burn in your own game.”
“Oh yes. I just might,” Joonmyeon responded, as if taunting Kyungsoo. “And in case you haven’t realized it, you don’t know how pathetic you sound like right now.”

Kyungsoo’s gaze on Joonmyeon intensified.

“She will know whom to run to in the end.” Kyungsoo uttered, landing his gaze at me for a short while.

Joonmyeon just replied with a silent smug at him. He tightened his hold around my shoulder before turning on his heels, dragging me…yet again…inside the elevator. 

Kyungsoo didn’t budge, still eyeing Joonmyeon with a closed fist, while the three figures were just blankly glancing at the scene. Just as clueless as I am. 

Kim Joonmyeon pressed a button as he shifted his arm from my shoulders to my waist, yanking me towards him more.

As if I am something that can be bragged about.
Like a trophy.
Like an object.

And I don’t know if I’ll be glad…or be hurt…

As the doors closed, all I could see was Kyungsoo’s eyes boring intensely deep into Joonmyeon’s. Just before the metal edges met flat with each other, Kyungsoo gaped at me, as if giving me a warning with a look.  

“…you should never let your guard down…”
“…you are playing a very dangerous game with Kim Joonmyeon.”

Right after Kim Joonmyeon pressed ‘10’, I held tightly onto his arm s around my waist and jerked it back to his side. I took a step farther from his spot.

“What the heck was that about, Joonmyeon?!”

He just looked at me blankly, with only a small closed innocent smile to flash.

I have so many questions to ask.

“Myunjae,” Joonmyeon suddenly uttered in his serious tone. “I know Kyungsoo said something, but you’re not going to believe it, right?”

I’m not going to believe it…
But why is it so hard to do?

And why are my feelings in contrary to what he is saying now?
Like everything Kyungsoo said is true?

I faced him and showed the sternest expression I could display. “Joonmyeon, I want answers now.”

“No, Myunjae, you don’t need answers.” He continued staring at the elevator door in front of us.
“No, Joonmyeon. I need answers!”

Joonmyeon looked at me with an unyielding gaze, compared