TWENTY-SEVEN

"And then we went out and he bought me an ice cream, we talked about each other and went to the movies!" Nari's sister exclaimed as they walked the next day to the prep.

The whole way to the prep involved Ara rambling about how Jimin had almost a real date with her. She was really excited, her hands were flailing around as she talked.

Nari chuckled, "I heard." she replied.

Ara giggled next to her sister, "He's so beautiful, no wonder every girl wants him." she gushed over his features.

Both girls laughed as they approached the school. They bid their goodbyes before going their separate ways.

As Nari walked inside she was met by a pair of hands hugging her waist. The deep voice that giggled on her ear helped her identify the person.

"Hi Tae Tae." she smiled as he let her go and stood in front of her.

He waved his hand at her.

   "How are you?" he asked her with concern running through his face.

   She sighed, "I'm just taking it one day at a time." Nari replied.

   That was what she had agreed. It had been difficult to agree on that but she did.

   "Did you do the math homework?" she asked him. Let's just say that math isn't her favorite subject.

   Taehyung scoffed, "No. I'll just copy off Namjoon or Eun."

    Nari chuckled, "I'll probably just do the same."

   Both teens smiled before they continued their way to their first class. As they kept walking through the halls their friends joined them too.

  Jungkook kissed Nari on the cheek and placed his arm around her shoulder.

   "Hi." he said as he smiled at her. His eyes shined under the sunlight.

   Why is he so cute?

   "Hi." her face turned red under his stares, and the sneaky stares of their friends.

    Hoseok furrowed his eyebrows, "You guys are disgusting." he said.

  "Yah, hyung!" Jungkook exclaimed, "Do you want some of my love?" he asked as he approached Hoseok slowly before hugging him tightly.

   He tried pushing the youngest away, "Get off–no, stop–Jungkook!" he chuckled.

  All of the teens laughed before resuming their walk to class with smiled on their faces.

    They both hugged before their group began entering the classroom.

    Nari sat down with Eun as Hyuk while the boys sat behind them.

    "I don't know if Jin told you, but today we arranged a meeting with one of Zik's men." Hyuk mumbled to Nari's ear.

   The girl widened her eyes at him, "Are you crazy? You both could get killed."

   "I told you, this is dangerous." Eun nudged Hyuk who sat in the middle of the two girls.

   He sighed, "Namjoon knows. We're all going."

   "We need reinforcements, guns, protection–" Eun started.

   Yoongi interrupted from beside them, on the other table with Jimin and Namjoon, "We contacted Yugyeom."

   "Yugyeom?" Nari asked Hyuk.

    Hyuk smirked and so did the others. A smile later was on his face. The teacher began getting ready and he finally spoke,

   "He's a good old friend."
 
                         -

"So you are telling me that you were a couple back then?" Nari asked her as she strolled around the school gardens with her friend.

   The other girl laughed, "He had a crush on me when we were kids, that's all."

"And you had a crush on him too, he confessed his feelings for you but you were scared so you ran away?" Nari said as she reviewed what her friend had confessed.

The girl groaned and placed her hands on her face in embarrassment, "We were ten!" she exclaimed.

Both girls laughed and continued walking. The boys were doing their homework at the library, which was a first for them.

"Do you still like Yugyeom?" she asked her.

The other girl scoffed, "Oh no I don't. He's changed." she shrugged, "I heard he has a girlfriend or something."

After a long silence Nari spoke, "Do you like someone?" she asked.

Eun's eyes widened, "Why are you asking me?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, just answer the question please."

The other girl looked down, "Just–uh, Taehyung."

Nari didn't hear anything since she had mumbled her words, "What?"

Eun sighed and looked at her, "I said that I like Taehyung."

"I knew it!" Nari exclaimed.

    The other girl's hand covered her mouth, "Can you not scream it to the world!" she joked.
 
   "Sorry." Nari chuckled.

Eun began speaking after taking a long sigh and sitting down on the grass with Nari.

"I don't know when they'll tell you about your dad but just," she held her hand, "don't get mad at them, at us. We never meant to hurt you."

    "Eun–" she started but Eun interrupted her.

   "He left to keep your mother and sister safe; to keep you safe." she admitted.

   To keep her safe? Why would he have to leave just for their–

  Wait.

  Nari replayed on her mind the time when she heard her father leave. When she heard them fight in the living room. She was a little girl when he left while Ara was a baby.

"You can't do this to me, to us!" her mother shouted in anger. They had just put baby Ara to sleep and Nari stayed awake in her room watching some cartoons.

Yun Jay sighed, "I'm sorry, but this is for your safety," he paused, "the kids, they need me."

"So do your daughters." her mother said coldly.

He stayed silent.

They both did.

"You guys can be strong and live a good life without me," his voice wavered, "I know that, for sure. They have a mother that would give the world for them."

Her mother, spoke once more "We promised to stay together and raise our girls together–"

"I'm sorry, I really am." the sound of his father's lips lightly meeting his mother's forehead was heard clearly.

Another sound that was heard, that young Nari heard was her mother's cries as the door clicked meaning that her father had left.

He had left them and he was never coming back.

"Nari." Eun broke her from the trance.

The girl took a deep breath, "I need to take some fresh air," she stood up and looked around, "I'll see you later."

She began walking rapidly to another space in the garden where there was no one. She needed some time alone.

When she did, she looked up at the sky.

"Why?" she wasn't even crying, she had cried enough.

Why was everyone lying to me?

Why is this happening?

Why do some things look so perfect on the outside but damaged on the inside?

Why did he have to make that decision? Why?

The blaring of her phone startled her and her thoughts. This time it was a call.

Without thinking it twice, she answered. It's probably Namjoon, Eun or Jungkook.

"I'm fine."

Silence filled the other line.

"Nari."

That voice, it reminded her of someone.

It can't be.

"Who is it?"

"I left because I needed to protect you."

It isn't Jungkook, or Eun or Namjoon. She checked the caller i.d and the number made her heart stop for a second.

That number was the same number that had messaged her.

That same number that told her about how they could hurt her friends; how they could hurt her family.

That same number had tried to get her out of the car the night she was almost shot.

And that person was none other than the person she least expected to call her.

"Dad?"