You had felt yourself slipping from reality — salt filled tears dissolving in the atmosphere as his very image was now fading from your grasp.

You knew it well.

They had managed to dispose of you successfully — turning you into a mere voodoo doll puppeteered by the spell that they called love.

The same spell which had made you weak to your knees, bowing in a plea for mercy. The same spell which had destroyed entire armies, empires and facades — the same curse which had distorted everything out of proportion.

Perhaps your definition of love had been wrong the whole time.

To you, it was a beautiful thing.

To them, it was a disgrace — a poison to their bloodline, who despised commoners. It created a mentality that would plague their entire family.

Was this why he became this way?

Was this why he remained frozen as sharp air cut through your figure — heart shattering into thousands of shards as he grew further and further.

A guttural cry for help soars from your lips — a last resort.

A last goodbye...

Please... Save me...

❈

Please... Save me...

Your head crashed onto the wooden desk, the professor's lecture failing to catch even an ounce of your interest.

Instead your mind had been polluted with foolish thoughts and desires— freezing water sprinkling your toes as the sun glowed on the distant horizon. Familiarity and excitement sweeping your lungs with a single whiff. The ocean breeze spiraling your locks of hair, penciling your shoulders a chocolate brown. The recklessness in your grin, as the wind carried your cardigan into the distance — skin now exposed to the ghostly touch of your lover's fingers glazing the apple of your cheek.

You knew it was time — merely minutes away.

Summer.

The corners of your lips itch into a smile, noticing the buzz in the auditorium as students packed away their textbooks after a lengthy afternoon of classes.

Finally freedom!

"Y/N!" The petite brunette, who you labelled as your friend, calls from the back. Chaining your arms together, her cheeks round to form an adorable smile.

"Y/N~" She sings, imitating the tone of a cheery toddler running rampant through a candy shop. "Remember the tinsy winsy favour you said you owed me?" Hiding her fidgeting hands behind her back, she plays off her fear of rejection, batting her mascara coated lashes frivolously.

"Yes, why?" You hum, eyes rolling at your friend's persistence, zipping up the final inch of your leather bag.

Of course the one time you asked for a favour, she managed to mold into a 'pay me back' kind of situation.

Irritating.

Then again, she had a tendency to make a fuss over very small things quite often. So really it should've been expected?

"Well you see..." Her teeth grab hold of the skin inside her cheek, nibbling on it anxiously as her doe-like gaze falls to you. "MycrushMinsusortainvitedmeoutfordinnerand-"

"Woah woah. Slow down." A giggle bubbles from your lips, hands resting on her shoulders. Yerin always found a way to make you laugh whether it was on purpose or by accident. She was quirky that way. Especially as someone with a good sense of slapstick humour, her clumsiness was certainly priceless.

Nodding, Yerin draws a deep breath. "Minsu just asked me out to dinner with his friends!" She squeals, gaze immediately gravitating to her crush who was chatting with his friends. Noticing her, he waves, flashing her a kind smile — only further enhancing her smitten expression.

Snapping out of the temporary daydream, her jaw hangs open as if suddenly remembering the whole point of talking to you in the first place. She pivots towards you once more, bouncing on the balls of her feet in eagerness. "The problem is..." She leans in close. "I don't have enough money to pay."

Retreating back a reasonable distance, you provide an unamused look. "Not my problem."

"Aw c'mon! Please~" She follows, chasing after you whilst whining non-stop, only further increasing your frustration.

No, you weren't fantastically rich, neither were you dirt poor. Instead your family sat comfortably within the rank of middle class — but still, the value of a dollar had been implanted into your brain from a young age, and it was expected by your father that you spend his hard earned money well. Not to spend it on these kinds of affairs.

You couldn't deny that Yerin could really be halfwitted at times. Did she really expect you to dish out money without at least giving her some trouble about it?

"No." Yerin pouts, flaunting her artificially rouge stained lips.

"You're so selfish!" She huffs, hands glued to her chest like a child throwing a tantrum. She was cute — not like you were going to let her off the hook quiet yet though.

"Y/N please! We've been friends for over 10 years."

"Not my fault that you can't save money well." You shrug, adjusting the backpack hanging from your shoulder, unfazed.

In a desperate attempt, she clutches onto you like a koala, falling to her knees dramatically, drawing the attention of the people around you.

See? A complete blockhead when it came to social cues.

"Please! My life has had no meaning until now! Can't you just help me this once?"

"Haha. Nope~" You trot to the gates of the campus, hoping that this pest would give up and head home. But of course, today wasn't in your odds, and she continued after you with a mission.

"PLEASE! I will never ask anything of you ever again?"

Ever again...?

Gasping sarcastically, you plant your feet deep into the ground, coming to a full stop. "Gee! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"So is that a yes?" She beams, smile wider than that of the Cheshire cat.

A sadistic grin traverses your lips, finger tapping the shine on her nose. "Still a no."

"Seriously!" She flings her arms in the air, beyond annoyed — lips quaking with anger as her brows creased, creating a frown. "Well I'm not going to leave until you say yes."

"Then you got a lot of walking to do."

Eyes growing wide, she chuckles nervously, clearly getting much more than what she bargained for. "W-What?"

"You heard me dumbass." You snicker, enjoying the completely dumbfounded expression on her face as you continued on. Mentally cursing you under her breath, Yerin runs to your side, blocking your way again, bent over as she tries to catch her breath.

"Tired already?" You tease, noticing how her legs were wobbling in fatigue.

"Shut up." She rolls her eyes. Yerin wasn't really one who enjoyed physical activity much. The running, throwing and kicking of things all seemed like a bother and waste of time. Besides, even on the days where she was feeling especially 'lucky' and tried her best, she had a tendency to get injured.

Still panting, she outstretches her hand towards you. "Now stop being stubborn and give me your credit card."

Pulling the yellow card from your wallet, you cross your arms, an eyebrow arched. "What's in it for me?"

She heaves a sigh, eyes narrowing in defeat. "I'll let you boss me around for a week alright?" 

You smirk at the thought of Yerin bent by your feet, spoiling you by giving you some much needed silence as you ordered her around. 

Perhaps she'd finally learned the basics of diplomacy. 

"Alright fine." Yerin smiles as you offer a cheeky grin, finally caving into her useless nagging. 

"Really!?" 

"Yeah." You hum, fishing your credit card from your wallet. "Use this sparingly though. If my dad ever finds out about this he will kill me." 

Nodding vigorously, she hugs the credit card close, a grin threatening to crawl up her lips. "Thank you so much! I promise to give it back to you tomorrow!" 

"Yeah yeah. Whatever." You shake your head in doubt, waving a dismissive hand, notes of skepticism present in your voice. 

"I won't let you down!" She shouts, swinging past the block corner, steps bouncier than ever. It was if she'd won the lottery or something— her eyes shimmering in utter glee as you had presented the golden card. 

Heaving a long sigh, your lips form a flat line. 

Sure, you were happy for your friend. It was her first 'date' ever and you didn't want to be the party pooper of what could be the start of something special; because that would definitely be uncalled for as a good friend who should be supportive and refrain from creating obstacles. But at the same time your heart felt heavy— odd, as a horde of butterflies swarmed your stomach, only further enhancing the sickening anxiety building up. 

Because you really did not have a good feeling about this.

❈❈

"Mom, Dad, Bora! I'm home!" You call, mouth falling dry when the only response is was a gust of wind, bulldozing a stack of your father's papers folded neatly on the dinning table. Sliding off your runners and tossing them onto the worn out welcome mat from your childhood, your brows knit in confusion as you spot a pink post-it note tacked to the fridge. 

"Hello?" You voice once more, the silence of the empty house devouring the already gloomy atmosphere. Ripping the note from the fridge, you scan the hallway once more in search for some form of human life, which had been absent, no longer surprising you. 

Scanning the frail note, it read: 

WTF Y/N? Did you piss dad off or somethin'? He took my phone away! ㅠㅠ I blame you for this disaster! Wishing you return to your natural habitat under a bridge, 

Bora  

Grimacing at the 'wonderful' note your cringe-worthy sibling had left behind, you toss it where it belonged; the trash. 

Wasn't dealing with one troll today really not enough? 

Couldn't everyone let you enjoy your first day of freedom in peace? 

Today was the first day of summer break for crying out loud! A time when young children filed the parks, playing their favourite games while teenagers go out with their friends and get into some trouble. But nope. Instead here you were, in an abandoned house which was supposed to be swarmed with bodies but instead remained vacant. Only the elements keeping you company in the house as the rest of your family was god knows where. 

Don't get it wrong. It wasn't that your family was busy either — it was more like the idea to even give you a vague description of their whereabouts had completely slipped their minds. There simply was no such thing as 'notice' in your family; they would always have last minute plans or business trips and it was typical for them to leave you in the dark about it. 

But after a lifetime of being surrounded constant forgetfulness, you had become accustomed to being the actual only responsible family member in the household. 

Your mother was a soft-spoken woman who preferred to keep to herself and was never really one to go against your father's word. Therefore, she remained passive and learned how to just go with the flow of things even if it could be in the wrong direction. She loved her family deeply and had her own methods to caring for everyone.

Your father on the other hand, was a hothead — prone to regular outbursts over fairly trivial matters. He was the head of the household, alpha male if you will, and despised being challenged because in his mind authority was of greater importance than whether he was right or wrong. Even so, he was the type of parent to fret over you not responding to his texts right away. As an influential man in the business industry, he had valued both hard work and family. 

And lastly your younger sister, probably the most irresponsible member in of the family; was a trickster. She had an odd sense of pleasure, making your life an absolute living hell, claiming it was for 'comedic purposes'. But like any other pair of siblings, she was family and you loved that dork even if she could be a pain in the ass.

"Y/N!!!!!!" Your father roars, startling you as you find his figure resting by the doorframe, teeth gritted. 

"Jesus you gave me a heart attack!" You clutch your chest, a hand against the counter as you inhaled a deep breath to calm the heart beating against your rib cage intensely.

"Oh don't play 'nice girl' with me." He hisses, slamming a receipt in front of you angrily. Arching an eyebrow you give him a questioning look only to which he responds "Just look at it, would you?"

Nodding, your eyes dart to the thin sheet of paper, the colour draining from your face. "Shit." You curse under your breath, snatching the receipt from the counter, forcing it down your jean pockets.

You knew it, you had been caught.

Your blood runs cold as your father's infuriated gaze greets you, his fingers slipping around the tie tied to his neck, loosening it. His other hand, balling into a fist, turning his knuckles a ghostly white.

"I-I can explain?" You squeak, voice so uncertain, there's was surely no way you were going to convince anyone. Your father sneers, shaking his head in utter disbelief as he let out a low chuckle.

More than ever, you wished to slither from the scene but the sight of your father's body nearly shaking in anger had prettified you, forcing you in one place. "Are you out of your mind?! Do you really not understand how much money this is?" He snaps, arms thrashing in the air.

"Yes..." You hang your head low in shame.

You should've trusted your gut instincts, but of course now there was no turning back. You had to fight this problem head on, try to reason your way out of it even though you were in the wrong. It was a grave mistake to ever trust anyone with your credit card in the first place, especially when that person is Yerin.

He scoffs, "To think you were even slightly responsible..." He grumbles, bitter, his gaze fixed on your slumped figure.

"Dad, it isn't what-"

"Why should I believe another one of your ridiculous stories?" He sighs, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in self-restraint. "You realize that you just blew a months worth of salary on alcohol and food right?"

Footsteps sound from upstairs, summoning your attention as they grow nearer, your mother rushing into the kitchen, a look of panic striking her features upon entering this battlefield. "I heard people yelling, what is happening?" She grabs hold of your father's arm.

"Someone here doesn't know the true value of money, that's what it is." Your father huffs, arms folding across his chest, exerting his authoritarian-like personality. Your mother sends you a concerned glance, lips pursing as she found herself caught in the middle of this quarrel.

Her mocha irises had expressed a certain sadness; a part of her hoping this really wasn't true and that your father had been mistaken.

"Y/N..." She coos, parting from your father, her hand resting on your cheek as her gentle touch tingled your skin. "Did you really do this?"

It was illogical to lie your way out of this one. There was no where to go, no where to run or escape the two most influential people in your life, who still had faith in their eldest daughter no matter what act she had committed both good and bad. Yet here you stood, a coward, pondering whether to feed them a petty lie and throw their trust in you under the bus, only for it to be rediscovered later.

"Please tell the truth." Your mother soothes, chilled hands enveloping yours, a weak smile offering you a final chance for redemption.

"I'm sorry..." You murmur, gaze trailing past her shoulder to your father, preparing to accept any form of punishment he had to offer. Gaze softening, your father places his large hand on your head, ruffling your hair.

"First, I want you to pay off the debt on this card." He began, lips curling into a smile. "Every single penny." You turn to your mother who nods in agreement with your father.

"How much is the debt...?"

"10,000$." Your jaw nearly reaches the floor. "What!? That's almost a full year's worth of tuition! How am I supposed to pay that?"

"Well for starters, as a jobless university student, it will force you to work and actually become responsible with money." He lists on his fingers, a smirk forming on his lips. "However, I'm prepared to offer a more... efficient way to pay."

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you nod. With your father it was crucial to consider all the options before making a rash decision that could be regrettable. "The second option being...?" You continue, waiting.

"You work with Auntie Chaerin in Busan for 2 months to help her new business."

Soaking in this new information, your mind runs into a frenzy, trying to configure a way to rig the system and get off easy.

It should be easy, really.

Sure, if you were to pay the bank, it would require less nagging from family members, but then again you'd most likely have to work for much longer. If you were to work with your aunt, the rules would be more lenient because she's family and you wouldn't have to work for so long. But, you would have to leave your family and friends for the summer.

Clearing your throat, you speak, "So you're telling me, I have to pay back every cent of debt on that card... Or work with Auntie Chaerin in Busan...?"

"Correct. Pay the bank... Or work with Aunt for 2 months and be free of debt. Your choice." He grinned.

It was already quite clear which choice he wanted you to make, but you weren't one to give in so easily.

"What kind of buisness is it?" You pry, attempting to earn details of this somewhat sketchy option in hopes of finding the easier option.

"You'll find out when you get there." He counters, amused with your foolishness. Your plan was so see-through, you might as well should have directly asked for everything you wished to know. Well... It wasn't like your father was going to tell you anyways though. 

Heaving a sigh, you bring yourself to decide, "Fine, I'll go to Busan..." you breathe, your father smiling widely in response.

"Great! Start packing!"

"What?"

BTSgotJams_170

2018 07 01