Warnings: Violence, metal and physical trauma, loss of body part
Chapter List
“H-hi.”
“Hello. How have you been?”
“Ok-kay, I guess.” Hyunjin cannot believe his eyes, but there’s no denying it. After thirty years you are really here again. In front of him. “You l-look good.”
You laugh awkwardly and adjust the top of your pastel turtleneck. “Let’s go. The boys are waiting.”
You pop open the trunk of your car and help him with a bag he seems to be struggling with only to find it rather light. You also can’t help but notice how he limps to the passenger side and is unable to bring his legs too close together.
He lets out a nervous chuckle, knowing what you are thinking but are too polite to say. “Werewolf c-correction camp is, well, t-tough…”
“Do you want to stop by a clinic first?” you ask carefully.
“No!” He jumps at his own sudden outburst. “I mean, n-no thank you. L-let’s not keep the boys waiting. I’m f-fine.”
You press your lips into a thin line but pull into the highway towards home anyway. The silence feels a little off, but it isn’t too awful in your opinion, but he feels otherwise.
“You’re m-married?” he asks, nodding at your fourth finger. “Jis-s-sung?”
A distressed hand runs itself through your hair as you draw in a sharp breath. “I... don’t know. I mean, legally, yeah, I guess I am. And yeah, it’s Jisung.”
Hyunjin bites his lip and looks down, regretting his question. Another silence passes before he asks, “... Do you h-hate me?”
You’ve thought about this question a lot since you gasped on a new breath of life on top of the ferris wheel three decades ago. On one hand, he saved your life. On the other, he murdered a child you considered your own.
“I had rather die than to see you again."
You pull into the restaurant where all of Mu Alpha Theta has gathered and help Hyunjin out of the car.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever b-be.”
The fraternity greets their long-lost brother warmly. Through the hugs and cheers, Hyunjin doesn’t miss the way Jisung looks at you with longing eyes as you walk through the door and sit by whom Hyunjin presumes to be your daughter. A bittersweet smile forms on his lips when you kiss your child on the head affectionately. He is a little jealous, he admits, but there is no point in wishing for something he can’t have. The council made sure of that, and the persistent pain and airiness between his legs serve as a constant reminder.
“Who’s t-this?” he asks you, trying to keep his voice nonchalant.
You beam brightly at him as you introduce your daughter, but upon your response, Hyunjin drops his glass of water, silencing the entire party. Nothing could have prepared him for what you said.
“Wha-a?” he chokes, shooting a glance at Jisung who is sitting with his shoulders hunched forward and fingers fiddling with his wedding band.
“Let’s get this cleaned up!” interrupts Chan before you can answer. “Can we get this cleaned up? Waiter! We have a little problem here; sorry about that.”
You get up to help, and your daughter leans over your vacated seat to Hyunjin.
“That’s just my middle name even though Mom insists on using it,” she tells him. “Dad hates it, but he never says anything about it to her. He says I’m named after someone. Uncle Jeongin took me to that someone’s grave once. It was a tiny little thing; she must have died young.”
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