03
A wound on dry lips.
Written by Malranggong.
*The material for this article was kindly provided by LOYA-S.
*This article contains violent content.
Yoongi, who headed home after school, cutting through the chilly night air, was still filled with thoughts of Siyeon. What on earth was the identity of the wound that was so clearly etched on his dry lips? Yoongi sighed, simply thinking about Siyeon. The warm air from Yoongi's mouth met the cold night air, turning into pure white vapor that hung in the air. "The night breeze is still very cold," he muttered to himself as he passed under a streetlight.
“I was wrong. I’m sorry, Dad… Please forgive me…”
Someone kept saying they were sorry in a desperate voice, and then suddenly screamed in pain. Startled by the sound, Yoongi stopped walking and headed towards the alley where the screams were coming from. There, a single streetlight was shining softly, and the surroundings were pitch black. In the fairly dark alley, he saw a woman being grabbed by a man's long hair and slapped. At the sight, fear spread through Yoongi's body and he stiffened, but he couldn't just pass by like that, so he moved as much as he could and pulled the man away from the woman.
“What are you doing??”
Yoon-ki spoke firmly to the man, then asked the woman in a gentle tone if she was okay.
“Are you okay? Uh...?”
When Yoon-ki asked if she was okay, the woman raised her head, which had been hanging down, and Yoon-ki couldn't help but be surprised at the familiar face she saw the moment she did. That woman was none other than Lee Si-yeon. Si-yeon fixed her hair, which had become disheveled after the man grabbed her hair. Then, she seemed to avoid Yoon-ki's gaze. She was embarrassed by the situation, and there was nothing more embarrassing than having her family affairs discovered by someone, so that was why she avoided Yoon-ki's gaze. Yoon-ki looked at Si-yeon's flushed cheeks and worried eyes.
“What are you??”
He, who had grabbed Siyeon's hair and slapped her face, suddenly shouted. Yoongi's eyes, where the worry had disappeared, were filled with hatred as he glared at the man. "Don't come any closer. Or I'll report you." Yoongi seemed to speak calmly, but a faint fear lingered in his body, causing him to tremble slightly. The man noticed Yoongi's slight trembling and chuckled as if it was hilarious. Yoongi whispered to Siyeon, thinking, "Ah, this can't go on." In this situation, all Yoongi can do is...
“Sister, when I count to one, two, three, I’ll run with all my might!”
Because there was nothing else to do but run away. Siyeon flinched for a moment at Yoongi's words and looked at the man. The man looked as if he would kill Siyeon if she took even a single step from here. Siyeon, who had unconsciously read the atmosphere, felt a feeling of fear spread throughout her body. Yoongi counted one, two, three, and ran, but Siyeon was frozen in place, unable to move an inch. Yoongi stopped running and approached Siyeon, grabbed her hand, and said, "You can do it, older sister." As if under a spell from Yoongi's words, Siyeon took a step forward, grabbed his hand, and walked away from the man. No matter what the man shouted, Yoongi and Siyeon ran forward.