SɪYᴇᴏɴ PᴏV

When I woke up, Minji was already gone. For a second I panicked, before remembering what happened yesterday. I sat up.

There was no clock in this room, but according to the bright sunlight coming from outside it must've been pretty late.

I swung my legs over the bed's egde and stood up. I got startled by a bark as I opened the door.

A white barking floofball came running to me and jumped up and down in front of me.

I smiled and bend down to pat Cherry's head. She wagged her tail and begged for me to pick her up, so I did.

While the little dog licked felt my whole face, I made my way downstairs.

It was the first school day I missed since seven years. But I didn't feel the urge to go there. I felt safe, even though Minji wasn't here.

That means I could finally stay home when I was sick and didn't need to be afraid of my father.

Minji's mom, Minyoung, was sitting at the dining table and ate breakfast. When she saw me, she smiled at me.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning," I replied and put Cherry back down.

"Should I make you something to eat?"

"That-that would be nice."

"You won't take much, I guess?" she asked after finishing her food.

I shook my head and Minyoung got up.

"Sit down, sit down," the other said and disappeared into the kitchen.

I sat down and patted Cherry who appeared next to me.

After a few minutes Minji's mother came back and placed a plate in front of me.

"Thank you..." I said.

She smiled warmly. "No problem. I will go and walk Cherry."

"When will Minji be back?" I asked.

"In about an hour," Minyoung answered, picking up Cherry.

"Okay."

"Eat well." With that the other turned around and left the room.

I ate my breakfast and put the plate into the dishwasher before going to the bathroom.

When I grabbed my toothbrush, I suddenly started to feel nauseous and felt a sharp pain in my stomach which made me gasp.

I put the toothbrush back and leaned on the sink for a few seconds, but neither of it got away.

I coughed and pressed my hand on my abdomen, not knowing what it could be.

I felt like I had to throw up, but I luckily didn't. My throat was burning so I coughed even more.

The stomach pain was gone after a few minutes, but I still felt dizzy.

I straightened up and turned around to leave the bathroom.

Minji's mother was already back, feeding Cherry.

I walked towards her, taking hold of various things to not fall.

Minyoung noticed me. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't f-feel good..."

The older woman finished feeding the little dog and stood up. She looked at me worriedly. "What's up?"

"I'm dizzy..."

Minyoung helped me sit down on a chair and placed a glass of water in front of me. I took a sip.

ꨄ︎

MɪɴJɪ PᴏV

-𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆-

"Please solve this problem in your folders," the teacher said and sat down on his desk.

I sighed. I hate math, I thought. I still solved the task without any problems.

"Alright, I will now check your answers," the teacher said after a few minutes. "If you have it right, you can already pack up." He stood up and walked through the class, looking at everyone's answers and giving tips.

He passed by and showed me a thumbs up. So I put everything away and waited for him to finish.

"Good. You can go now."

Everyone stood up and left the classroom. The teacher grabbed me by the wrist so I turned around.

"Can you stay for a minute?"

"Sure..."

He waited until all students were gone.

"Have you heard about Siyeon?" he asked.

"Why would you ask?"

"She was never missing in class so I wonder."

"I didn't see her," I said.

"Okay. You can go too."

I left the classroom and headed to the exit to leave the school.

Halfway I got stopped again. It was Yeonjung.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly.

"Where is your little new friend, huh?"

"I won't tell you that."

She smirked. "They got her, right?"

"Shut up."

Yeonjung laughed.

"She doesn't deserve to be happy."

"What did she ever do to you?"

"Nothing. Am I not allowed to hate her?"

"Not if you don't have a reason. Now let me go home."

I turned around to leave, but Yeonjung grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, forcing me to face her. She was only a few inches away.

"Don't touch me," I hissed, yanking her hand away with a force and backing up.

Her expression suddenly changed and she looked sad. "Do you think I hate you?" she asked.

"Why would you do all this if you didn't?"

"I don't..." she admitted weakly. "I never hated you. I could never..." With that she turned around and disappeared from my vision.

I looked after her, confused, but decided to not think about it and finally go home.

I left the school and headed towards my house, I entered inside the house, feeling relieved.

I put my school back away and heard someone coughing from the bathroom. It sounded like Siyeon.

I walked to the door and knocked.

"Siyeon?"

I didn't get an answer but heard something rumble inside the bathroom. Then some cursing and the noise of the toilet flush.

"Siyeon, are you okay?" I asked, sincerely worried.

"Totally fine," it came from inside, not sounding like that.

The door unlocked and opened and Siyeon stumbled outside, letting herself literally fall into my arms.

"I'm glad you're here..."

"What happened?"

"I feel dizzy... And I have some weird pain in my stomach... It won't stop..."

I backed up and put my hands on Siyeon's shoulders so I could look at her. She was pale and I could see sweat on her forehead. I made a worried face.

"You don't look good," I said.

"I know..."

"You should lay down and rest a little, maybe it gets better."

"Sure..."

I helped Siyeon to get up the stairs and guided her to my room when suddenly her grip on my shoulder got harder.

"Aish," she made and put her hand on her abdomen. "It hurts..."

"What happened?" I asked and made her sit on the bed.

"I don't know... I just ate breakfast, not more..."

"Are you allergic to something?"

"Not that I know."

"Okay. Lay down for a while, maybe it will get better," I said.

Siyeon nodded and did what I said. I left the room quietly and made my way downstairs.

"Minji? Can you come here for a second?" I heard my mom's voice.

I entered the living room. She was sitting on the couch with Cherry on her lap, who came running to me. I picked her up and sat beside my mom.

"I am sincerely worried," she began. "I think I know what it is, and it's nothing good, not at her age."

"What do you think?"

"Your mother had the same symptoms when she was... How should I say that?"

"Just how it is," I said, being even more worried than before.

"She had the same symptoms when she was pregnant with you."

I widened my eyes in shook. "P-pregnant?"

"Yes..."

"Do you mean Siyeon is-"

"I am not sure and I hope I am wrong, but yes, it's exactly the same."

"Why should she be p-pregnant...?"

"I am the last person who would know that."

I was silent for a moment.

"What if it's true? What are we supposed to do?"

"We're not in the position to decide that."

We heard a key rattle at the door. "I'm back!" Jaehyun cheered and came running into the living room. Yoohyeon followed him slowlier.

"Seems you're in a good mood," I said tonelessly.

"Yep! I hope it's okay that I brought her," he added.

"Hello," Yoohyeon said and bowed a little.

"It's alright," my mother said.

My brother noticed the pressed mood. "What's up? Where is Siyeon?"

"She is resting, she didn't feel good," I said.

"And that's why you're like this?"

"We have a problem, but you won't understand it," my mom mocked him.

"Just because I am a boy? That's unfair."

"It's a big problem," I added to my mom's sentence.

"Come on! I am not that irresponsible," he said.

"Siyeon has some symptoms I am not sure about," my mother said.

"What symptoms?" my brother asked, sitting down on the armchair.

"Can I sit there?" Yoohyeon asked, pointing at the space next to me. I nooded and she sat down.

"I said that I am not sure," my mother said.

I heard footsteps coming towards us. When I looked, Siyeon was standing in the doorframe.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Totally fine," she replied. "It's all gone now."

I looked at my mom worriedly.

"Can you sit down for a second?" my mom asked Siyeon.

"Sure." She sat down at the other armchair.

"We have a problem, Siyeon," my mom began. "I think I know what symptoms you may have."

"That doesn't sound good..." the other replied. "What is it?"

My mother cleared her throat.

"It isn't good, it's indeed really bad."

Everyone stayed silent.

"You have pregnancy symptoms."

Siyeon widened her eyes, but didn't say anything. She looked at the floor.

"She has what?" my brother asked.

"Siyeon, did you-"

"It isn't my fault," Siyeon interrupted my mother. "It isn't my fault..."

"What do you mean by that?"

I saw a tear escape her eye.

"He forced me... If-if I said something... H-he would b-beat me up u-until I w-was u-unconscious... It isn't m-my fault..." She was at the egde of breaking down.

We all looked at her in disbelief, even Yoohyeon seemed shocked.

"Who?" I asked in a faint voice.

"My father..."

"H-how long?" Yoohyeon asked, sounding scared.

Siyeon collected herself before answering. "Everyday... Since seven years..."

Yoohyeon suddenly looked like she felt really bad, but she didn't say anything.

ꨄ︎

SɪYᴇᴏɴ PᴏV

I clenched my fists.

I said to much, I thought.

I stood up. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to bother you..."

"You don't bother us," Minji said right away. She got up too. I saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"I will go upstairs..." I just said, turning around and leaving the room. No one said anything against it.

When I reached the stairs, I heard footsteps behind me. I didn't look back, but I stopped.

"Siyeon..." It was Yoohyeon's voice. "Please, look at me..."

I turned around.

"I am so sorry," she blurted out. "I know I can't make it unhappen... But I am so sorry... I didn't know what you were going through, I... I'm sorry for making your life even more of a hell as it already was."
She was at the verge of crying.

I hardly managed to hold back my tears, so I just looked at the floor, not saying anything and biting my bottom lip.

We both stayed silent.

"Can... Can you forgive me...?" Yoohyeon asked after a while.

"I don't know..." I answered honestly.

"It's okay, I understand you..."

She took three steps forward so that she was standing right in front of me. I looked up.

"What are you-"

Yoohyeon wrapped her arms around me, which caught me offguard.

"I'm sorry..."

She hugged me tightly. "We don't have to be the best friends... I just want you to forgive me... I felt guilty since you moved away... I really had a guilty conscience since that exact day... Now I can finally say that to you in person..."

"I don't know if I can forgive you," I whispered.

"I know that... What I did was really wrong..."

"At least you see that," I said.

"I judged you without even knowing you. You're right. I don't know if you should forgive me..."

"You've changed," I noted.

"But that doesn't change the past."

"That's true."

Yoohyeon backed up. "I can't say much more than what I've already said... You can think about it..."

With that she turned around and walked back towards the living room.

"Yoohyeon," I called her. She stopped and turned her head. "I... I forgive you."

She smiled lightly. "Thank you."

---

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