Breathlessly reaching Taehyung's homeroom door, I slid it open and barged inside without a second to waste.

I found my boyfriend situated on the edge of a desk, hands stuffed in his pockets and head hanging in frustration and weariness for having to wait for so long.

"Hey I'm really really really sorry! I was-"

"You forgot about me. You betrayed me for another guy." Taehyung cut me off before I was able to finish rationalizing my tardiness, creating a completely counterfactual presumption of his own.

"It's not anything like that, Taehyung." I remained calm in order to refrain from igniting the fuse of the inflammable bomb in front of me.

"I saw you hugging him!" he raised his voice, irately getting off of the desk and properly standing up on his feet.

"He's just a friend!" I asserted back, provoked by his tendency of making a big deal out of nothing.

Rolling his eyes at my factual reasoning that his headstrong self doesn't want to trust, he alleged, "Sure, that's what all girls say when they get caught cheating! Why don't you go fuck around with your 'new boyfriend' some more?"

"Why don't you believe me?!" I questioned desperately, starting to doubt whether he even had a single bit of faith in his girlfriend.

"Because you're lying to me! You're nothing but a lying whore!" he yelled and pointed at me, treating me as if I was some sort of criminal.

Never in a million years expecting my adored boyfriend to refer me by such a name, I became speechless and petrified from his heart-wrenching statement.

Okay, that crossed the line.

Gritting my teeth in extreme resentment, I shook my head while staring at him intently and uttered three words I never would've said before.

"Fuck you, Taehyung."

With his eyes instantaneously enlarging, his brows furrowing to its max, and his right hand upraising, Taehyung gave me a hard, agonizing slap across my face.

My mind went blank and a prolonged ringing resounded in my left ear from the harsh impact, my cheek now gradually developing this burning sensation but becoming numb at the same time.

I've been verbally attacked, yelled, and cursed at, but this was the very first time Taehyung's ever hit me.

"Don't you ever say that to me again." he warned with absolutely zero concern for me and the physical or mental trauma he's caused.

How is it possible for someone to inflict so pain on another to the greatest extent, and still lack even the slightest of sympathy or compunction for the victim?

The abounding tears in my eyes were blurring my image of the chivalrous angel I've seen for the past six months into one of a menacing devil.

But... I love him.

Or so I thought.

Slowly taking steps backwards while holding onto my swelling cheek, I dashed out of the classroom and far away from the merciless beast.

Running for my life in intractable fear and trepidation of what Taehyung might potentially do to me, there was only one thing I could do.

I can't let my parents find about this.

Rushing into the girls' restroom, I immediately seized a few paper towels and turned on the sink, soaking them in the cold water in order to create something that could alleviate the red bruise on my face.

I was hyperventilating and shuddering with terror, my incessant tears of torment pouring down my cheeks and dripping into the pile of water in the sink.

But suddenly, I heard a distinct voice call my name from the entrance of the restroom.

"Hana?"

Acknowledging the individual as Aeri, I quickly obscured my face with my short hair and faced the other way.

"A-Aeri? What are you still doing here at school?" I asked in a casual tone, attempting to make myself appear busy so she wouldn't suspect a thing.

"I had to stay back to help a teacher with something. What're you doing here?" she queried in return, inching closer and accelerating the nervous pulsation in my chest.

"I-I'm just-"

"Why're you facing the other way? What's wrong?" Aeri bombarded me with questions, increasing my apprehension of her finding out.

"It's nothing. Just please leave me alone." I said firmly, cursing internally at my bad luck.

Abruptly, my best friend held me by my cheek and compelled me to face her.

"Hana, look at me-"

The moment Aeri laid her eyes on my bruise, she released an overly exaggerated gasp and asked frantically, "Oh my god, who did this to you?!"

I stayed mute, incapable of finding any more courage left inside of me.

"You need to tell me Hana!" she shouted with worry at my tear-stained face, nearly about to cry herself.

Taehyung hit me over one little insult. Who knows what he'll do if I ever snitched on him?

"I-I cant... I just cant..." I muttered apologetically, averting my gaze from my best friend who I used to depend on for any hardship or misfortune I encountered.

Although clearly disappointed in my lack of trust in her, Aeri didn't complain.

Rather, she pulled me in and softly wrapped her arms around my fragile body without saying anything.

Even in the peaceful silence, her assuaging hug and her hand caressing my hair spoke a million comforting words.

After a minute of regaining my composure with Aeri's help, she advised concernedly, "You need to tell your mom about this."

I sighed heavy-heartedly, being fully aware that I could never, ever do that.

But knowing she'd persistently encourage me until I changed my mind, I couldn't tell her that.

"Thanks, Aeri." I smiled sorrily, then clutched the handles of my backpack and left the restroom.

I can endure this alone.

I'll get through this.

＊　＊　＊　

When I eventually arrived my house, the first thing I did when I entered was sprint up to my room before my mom could apprehend my presence.

Taking out my makeup pouch out of my bag, I hurriedly concealed the bruise on my cheek, which was now a little less swollen and red.

Descending down the stairs while reminding myself to behave naturally, I set foot into the kitchen where the delectable scent of miso soup permeated the small place. 

Perceiving the sound of my footsteps, my mother diverted her attention from stirring the pot and asked in a surprised manner, "Oh, when did you get home?"

"Just a few minutes ago." I replied nonchalantly, although I was internally afraid of her finding out about everything one way or another.

"What happened to your date with Taehyung?" she unfortunately brought up, my boyfriend's name causing my body to wince in dread.

"He... had to go somewhere." I lied, offhandedly stealing a piece of chocolate from a wooden bowl on the table and unwrapping it.

Despite my efforts of acting as coolly as I could, my mother still somehow noticed an abnormality in my demeanor and asked, "Honey are you okay? Did something happen?"

Gulping anxiously, I threw the dark chocolate cube into my mouth.

"I'm fine." I lied once again.