“Easy for you?” Dahye snapped awake, pushing herself upright. She looked at Bora, her mouth growing hard.
Bora blinked rapidly. “I thought you were asleep,” she said. “I didn’t mean it that way—”
“Then what did you mean? Do you know what I’ve been through tonight? How fucking terrible everything has been?”
“Of course I know. I’ve been here the whole time. You act like I haven’t done anything—”
“I never said that. You love to make yourself the victim.”
“Don’t twist my words, Dahye. It’s like your mother said—”
“My mother?”
Bora blanched. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Dahye let out a sharp breath, remembering how Bora had behaved at the police station. How ignorant she had been to Dahye’s despair then and how ignorant she was even now.
A terrible thought struck her: If Bora hadn’t begged Dahye to talk to Hyukjoon that night, begged for those fucking cigarettes, none of this would have happened. “Of course you didn’t mean it,” she snarled, venom burning in her veins. “Younevermean it. You’ve always been fucking selfish. Even when we were kids. Always ordering me around.”
“Where is this coming from? This isn’t you.” Bora stared anxiously into Dahye’s face. “Come on. You need food and sleep. We can talk about this tonight, when we’re both rested.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Bora. You’re not going to save me, no matter how badly you want to.” Dahye blinked, and she was back in the stall. The bass was reverberating in her chest. She saw her reflection in a puddle on the floor and Bobby’s body frozen in a sickening angle.
He deserved it, she thought. A loud sob brought her back to the present, to Bora’s crying, hunched figure. There was so much anguish in her face that Dahye almost felt sorry. “I’ll go,” she said, rising unsteadily to her feet. “If I stay, I’ll only cause you pain.”
“No!” Bora looked around wildly. “You can’t. Where will you go?”
“I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.” She paused, glancing toward the bathroom. The faucet had begun to drip. “I always have.”
Dahye’s suitcase—the one her mother had packed—lay on the floor by the bed. She hadn’t opened it once. She picked it up and dragged it across the floor.
“Please don’t go,” Bora croaked. “Dahye. I’m begging you. If you walk out that door, I will never forgive you.”
Dahye paused, one hand on the doorknob. Bobby’s raging visage appeared before her for just a moment, before transforming into Hyukjoon’s beautiful face.
“I don’t need your forgiveness,” she said.
Iknow you saw my messages,” Kangmin said, giving Junyoung a little shove. It was first thing in the morning. Couldn’t Kangmin at least wait until after lunch?
“What messages?” Junyoung asked innocently.
“Don’t play dumb,” Kangmin said, rolling his eyes. “Are you going to send me the stuff, or am I going to have to tell you-know-who about your perverted behavior in the office?”
“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about,” Junyoung said loudly. “Are you alright?”
“Stop playing dumb,” Kangmin snapped. “What’s gotten into you?”
Junyoung turned his chair to face his computer screen, stifling a giggle. He could hear Kangmin shaking with rage behind him.
“This is your last chance,” Kangmin said. “If you don’t send me anything …” Then he whirled around and stormed away. For the next ten minutes, Junyoung listened as Kangmin huffedand puffed inside his cubicle. When he returned, he looked out of sorts.
“I’m really going to do it, you know,” Kangmin warned.
“I believe you,” Junyoung said simply.
“I’m going now.”
“Okay.”