Withered - Chapter 15: Chapter 15
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"Urrgh" Chaeyoung groan while letting out an exasperated sigh. He automatically massages his temple from extreme headache while his mouth tastes evil. Slowly he brings himself to sit properly, feeling thirsty. He rubs his nape, eyes shut when he can't move a single muscle; he stays sitting on the edge of the bed, debating whether or not he should get up. Hoping the hangover will clear.
He tries to calm the fire that burns his stomach and the pain on his back that aching in a way that starts around his knees up to his forehead. His brains have been removed and replaced with cotton balls and needles which why it hurts to try and think of What happened last night?
He feels awfully weird, body aches and unable to move from his position. He decides to stay still, until the pain is gone and he can collect himself, accompany by silence. He opens his eyes, streaks of sunlight penetrate the window hissed at his back, fulfilling the room.
Everything is blurry, for a second he never knows who or where he is. Don't know how he got in that bed, or how he got in those clothes. Then, everything becomes clear. He's in his room, the thing above him is the ceiling and he is sitting on his own bed. And? He got no shirt on, no pants, fully exposed. His clothing and some stranger clothes scattering on the floor or more like a ripped blouse and woman jeans and? Lingerie?
Still in confusion, he tries to process, thinking of what happened or why there are woman clothes in his room, and why is he naked. Not until he notices a presence behind him, on the other bedside. A feeling of a person or agency, without being heard or seen. He turns around instantly shocked running through his frame, his face stuck in an incredulous expression. Chaeyoung glance over a girl lying, hands tied on the headboard, countless marks on her body, dry blood, dry tears, bruises, and cuts.
Can't bear what he sees, he quickly turns his face so his back facing the girl. A dream? He shakes his head in disbelief as he sits ridged as a board. His brain desperately scrambling to make sense of it all then it hits him that maybe, maybe he still in dreamland. He hit his head, slap his cheeks in an attempt to escape whatever situation he is in right now.
But nothing changes. Unable to comprehend what had just occurred between him and the girl. He tries to calm himself and take a deep heavy breathe. He wants to stand but for the moment, his legs have given way to gravity, shaky, weak.
Nonetheless, he pushes himself to stand still, wear his jeans, walk towards the closet and take a blanket. His brain has stopped working like some sort of emergency shut down. There's zero thinking going on in his head. His movement halt when he kicked over a dark blue crystal marble causing it to roll and hit the wall. For a second, he thoughts of the marble, where is it comes from? but he shakes the random thinking and allows his body to move by its own and do what he feels right at the moment; to cover the girl's body then remove the duct tape rope that tied her ankle.
He has no idea whether to wake the girl or not, he doesn't know what to do next, trying to imagine countless of scenario that might happen when the girl wakes up. Is she alright? Will he root in jail? Will this girl accept his apology? What will his brothers say? How will they react? Will his father beat him to death? And more importantly, what will Mina say to him? Will she thinks he's a monster? Disgusting and hideous.
He falls on his knees and finally sits, leaning against the wall while his head drop. He can do nothing, or specifically, he doesn't know what to do. All of different feelings come at him at the same time, guiltiness, sadness, shame, frustrated and scared of himself. He still trying to accept what he has done or hit his head again and again trying to recall even a single scene from last night but, he failed. He knows that he is drunk last night and probably did the most unforgivable sin to an innocent young girl.
After a few minutes, he stands and walks closer to the brunette, notices that half her face covered by some kind of ripped. Chaeyoung slowly removes a green tape that covered her mouth. There, he feels as if his world just burned into ashes. He starts gibbering nonsense and quickly turns away.
It can't be
That's absurd, they may look similar
Gathering his courage, he swallows hard as he faces the girl again. Not wanting to believe his suspicion, he brings his hand near her face and takes the clothes that been used to blindfold the girl.
Chaeyoung instantly looks away, his lips tremble and his shoulder heave with emotion. Toppling as he takes a large step backwards. His face falls faster than a corpse in cement boots. At that moment his skin became greyed, his mouth hangs with lips slightly parted and his eyes are as wide as they could stretch.
Tears threatening to escape as he falls on his butt. His legs feel so weak he can't stand on his feet, instead, he tried to crawl to get near the girl. With trembling hands, he quickly untied the rope and support the girl's hand as it falls. He takes time, he cups his mouth to not make any noise as he weap. Tears streaming from his eyes, heavy sob tearing from his throat. Unable to speak, unable to breathe. He could no longer see clearly, his hands open and close, rhythmically clenching trying to reach the girl's face and wake her up.
"M---Mina yah"
He stops, regains himself as he tries to stop his tears from flowing nonstop, staring straight at Mina's condition; how there's a cut on her eyebrows, blood on her lips, dark purple bruise lining her neck. Chaeyoung swipes the girl's strands of hair that covered her face and held her hands. He notices a familiar bracelet she wears on her wrist, the friendship bracelet, it makes him cry harder, refusing to believe that the girl is really his best friend.
"M--Mina yah" He calls again, caressing Mina's cheeks slowly, gently.
Mina awake by the touch, she doesn't say anything for a minute as they stare at each other. She form a faint smile when she realized that in front of her is Chaeyoung. When she noticed her hands no longer tied and she can move her feet also the blanket that covers her body, she feels that somehow Chaeyoung probably found her and save her. Happy that she's no longer in that horrific night. With all energy left, finally, Mina says a word, forcing herself to speak despite how dry her throat feels it's burning.
"Where's the man? Do you catch him?"
Chaeyoung doesn't say anything but lowering her head, not wanting to make eye contact. He let his silence be the answer. Even he himself, have no idea of what's happening, he can't remember anything.
Mina shakes her head, slowly get up from her position, and sits leaning against the headboard, hugging the blanket to cover her exposed body. She knows that, everything is like screaming to her that it's him, but she knows better, better than anyone that it's impossible. So, she asks the same question again but to no avail, Chaeyoung keeps his mouth shut.
That's the moment where it comes to realization for Mina, that there's no use to avoid or run from reality. She needs a confirmation at least, no matter how the situation is very obvious for her and for him to knows what exactly happened, no matter how she notices Chaeyoung's behaviour, no matter what her mind tells her; She still believes him. That night, she can't see anything, there's no proof that it's him so instead, she asks.
"I-Is it you?"
She waits as Chaeyoung's only sitting on her knees, not saying anything. The muffle sobs wrack against her chest, bit her tongue when she can't any longer hold her tears streaming down her face. As much as she tries to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a silent scream. Weak sobs, weak sniffles.
"I---I'm sorry"
Mina closes her eyes as the words leave Chaeyoung's mouth. She wants to scream, she wants to kill him, she wants to run, she wants to say more but with her condition right now, she can do nothing.
Mina push herself with all she can, she wants to leave the place as soon as possible and the only things she can do is to escape. She gets off the bed, takes her lingerie that's on the floor, snatches any random shirt from Chaeyoung's closet as hers already tore. She walks herself to the bathroom, let the blanket that covers her body falls, then change into her jeans and Chaeyoung's shirt. She doesn't mind how sore she feels, the pain, and the blood on her body, limping for every step she takes. How messy and horrible she looks.
Chaeyoung who's been following Mina catches her wrist when she's about to leave standing before the door. He knows that it's his fault but he still wants to explain or apologize, Wait No, he thought I don't even deserve forgiveness
Mina doesn't turn around when her wrist grabbed by the younger from behind, for her, all she wanted is to leave. They stay like that until Chaeyoung breaks the silence.
"M-Mina" He begs, grip tightening on her wrist, he curses himself for doing something disgraceful especially to someone he cherishes more than anything. He feels miserable.
"D-don't call my name, L-let me g-go" Mina fight, using her right hand to remove or let herself free from Chaeyoung's grip.
"Please, N-Noona"
"Son Chaeyoung, let me go, please, y- you're hurting me" She cries out.
Chaeyoung looks down then sees the wound, red marks on Mina's wrist from the rope. He quickly pulls his hands when he realizes his grips are too tight. Mina leaves as soon as Chaeyoung's hand falls, leaving the younger alone falling on his knees, with clenching fists. He let his tears fall eating all the pain away, throbbing in his chest. He repeats the same words.
"Sorry"
He tries to calm the fire that burns his stomach and the pain on his back that aching in a way that starts around his knees up to his forehead. His brains have been removed and replaced with cotton balls and needles which why it hurts to try and think of What happened last night?
He feels awfully weird, body aches and unable to move from his position. He decides to stay still, until the pain is gone and he can collect himself, accompany by silence. He opens his eyes, streaks of sunlight penetrate the window hissed at his back, fulfilling the room.
Everything is blurry, for a second he never knows who or where he is. Don't know how he got in that bed, or how he got in those clothes. Then, everything becomes clear. He's in his room, the thing above him is the ceiling and he is sitting on his own bed. And? He got no shirt on, no pants, fully exposed. His clothing and some stranger clothes scattering on the floor or more like a ripped blouse and woman jeans and? Lingerie?
Still in confusion, he tries to process, thinking of what happened or why there are woman clothes in his room, and why is he naked. Not until he notices a presence behind him, on the other bedside. A feeling of a person or agency, without being heard or seen. He turns around instantly shocked running through his frame, his face stuck in an incredulous expression. Chaeyoung glance over a girl lying, hands tied on the headboard, countless marks on her body, dry blood, dry tears, bruises, and cuts.
Can't bear what he sees, he quickly turns his face so his back facing the girl. A dream? He shakes his head in disbelief as he sits ridged as a board. His brain desperately scrambling to make sense of it all then it hits him that maybe, maybe he still in dreamland. He hit his head, slap his cheeks in an attempt to escape whatever situation he is in right now.
But nothing changes. Unable to comprehend what had just occurred between him and the girl. He tries to calm himself and take a deep heavy breathe. He wants to stand but for the moment, his legs have given way to gravity, shaky, weak.
Nonetheless, he pushes himself to stand still, wear his jeans, walk towards the closet and take a blanket. His brain has stopped working like some sort of emergency shut down. There's zero thinking going on in his head. His movement halt when he kicked over a dark blue crystal marble causing it to roll and hit the wall. For a second, he thoughts of the marble, where is it comes from? but he shakes the random thinking and allows his body to move by its own and do what he feels right at the moment; to cover the girl's body then remove the duct tape rope that tied her ankle.
He has no idea whether to wake the girl or not, he doesn't know what to do next, trying to imagine countless of scenario that might happen when the girl wakes up. Is she alright? Will he root in jail? Will this girl accept his apology? What will his brothers say? How will they react? Will his father beat him to death? And more importantly, what will Mina say to him? Will she thinks he's a monster? Disgusting and hideous.
He falls on his knees and finally sits, leaning against the wall while his head drop. He can do nothing, or specifically, he doesn't know what to do. All of different feelings come at him at the same time, guiltiness, sadness, shame, frustrated and scared of himself. He still trying to accept what he has done or hit his head again and again trying to recall even a single scene from last night but, he failed. He knows that he is drunk last night and probably did the most unforgivable sin to an innocent young girl.
After a few minutes, he stands and walks closer to the brunette, notices that half her face covered by some kind of ripped. Chaeyoung slowly removes a green tape that covered her mouth. There, he feels as if his world just burned into ashes. He starts gibbering nonsense and quickly turns away.
It can't be
That's absurd, they may look similar
Gathering his courage, he swallows hard as he faces the girl again. Not wanting to believe his suspicion, he brings his hand near her face and takes the clothes that been used to blindfold the girl.
Chaeyoung instantly looks away, his lips tremble and his shoulder heave with emotion. Toppling as he takes a large step backwards. His face falls faster than a corpse in cement boots. At that moment his skin became greyed, his mouth hangs with lips slightly parted and his eyes are as wide as they could stretch.
Tears threatening to escape as he falls on his butt. His legs feel so weak he can't stand on his feet, instead, he tried to crawl to get near the girl. With trembling hands, he quickly untied the rope and support the girl's hand as it falls. He takes time, he cups his mouth to not make any noise as he weap. Tears streaming from his eyes, heavy sob tearing from his throat. Unable to speak, unable to breathe. He could no longer see clearly, his hands open and close, rhythmically clenching trying to reach the girl's face and wake her up.
"M---Mina yah"
He stops, regains himself as he tries to stop his tears from flowing nonstop, staring straight at Mina's condition; how there's a cut on her eyebrows, blood on her lips, dark purple bruise lining her neck. Chaeyoung swipes the girl's strands of hair that covered her face and held her hands. He notices a familiar bracelet she wears on her wrist, the friendship bracelet, it makes him cry harder, refusing to believe that the girl is really his best friend.
"M--Mina yah" He calls again, caressing Mina's cheeks slowly, gently.
Mina awake by the touch, she doesn't say anything for a minute as they stare at each other. She form a faint smile when she realized that in front of her is Chaeyoung. When she noticed her hands no longer tied and she can move her feet also the blanket that covers her body, she feels that somehow Chaeyoung probably found her and save her. Happy that she's no longer in that horrific night. With all energy left, finally, Mina says a word, forcing herself to speak despite how dry her throat feels it's burning.
"Where's the man? Do you catch him?"
Chaeyoung doesn't say anything but lowering her head, not wanting to make eye contact. He let his silence be the answer. Even he himself, have no idea of what's happening, he can't remember anything.
Mina shakes her head, slowly get up from her position, and sits leaning against the headboard, hugging the blanket to cover her exposed body. She knows that, everything is like screaming to her that it's him, but she knows better, better than anyone that it's impossible. So, she asks the same question again but to no avail, Chaeyoung keeps his mouth shut.
That's the moment where it comes to realization for Mina, that there's no use to avoid or run from reality. She needs a confirmation at least, no matter how the situation is very obvious for her and for him to knows what exactly happened, no matter how she notices Chaeyoung's behaviour, no matter what her mind tells her; She still believes him. That night, she can't see anything, there's no proof that it's him so instead, she asks.
"I-Is it you?"
She waits as Chaeyoung's only sitting on her knees, not saying anything. The muffle sobs wrack against her chest, bit her tongue when she can't any longer hold her tears streaming down her face. As much as she tries to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a silent scream. Weak sobs, weak sniffles.
"I---I'm sorry"
Mina closes her eyes as the words leave Chaeyoung's mouth. She wants to scream, she wants to kill him, she wants to run, she wants to say more but with her condition right now, she can do nothing.
Mina push herself with all she can, she wants to leave the place as soon as possible and the only things she can do is to escape. She gets off the bed, takes her lingerie that's on the floor, snatches any random shirt from Chaeyoung's closet as hers already tore. She walks herself to the bathroom, let the blanket that covers her body falls, then change into her jeans and Chaeyoung's shirt. She doesn't mind how sore she feels, the pain, and the blood on her body, limping for every step she takes. How messy and horrible she looks.
Chaeyoung who's been following Mina catches her wrist when she's about to leave standing before the door. He knows that it's his fault but he still wants to explain or apologize, Wait No, he thought I don't even deserve forgiveness
Mina doesn't turn around when her wrist grabbed by the younger from behind, for her, all she wanted is to leave. They stay like that until Chaeyoung breaks the silence.
"M-Mina" He begs, grip tightening on her wrist, he curses himself for doing something disgraceful especially to someone he cherishes more than anything. He feels miserable.
"D-don't call my name, L-let me g-go" Mina fight, using her right hand to remove or let herself free from Chaeyoung's grip.
"Please, N-Noona"
"Son Chaeyoung, let me go, please, y- you're hurting me" She cries out.
Chaeyoung looks down then sees the wound, red marks on Mina's wrist from the rope. He quickly pulls his hands when he realizes his grips are too tight. Mina leaves as soon as Chaeyoung's hand falls, leaving the younger alone falling on his knees, with clenching fists. He let his tears fall eating all the pain away, throbbing in his chest. He repeats the same words.
"Sorry"
End of Withered Chapter 15. Continue reading Chapter 16 or return to Withered book page.