"What?"

To say she was shocked was a big understatement, Seowoo stared blankly at Miyeon for a few seconds in sheer shock.

Her eyes fell to the bump then back at the girl who tried so desperately to hold her tears in.

"My Dad...?" She uttered out slowly in case she had misheard.

Miyeon nodded, letting out shaky breaths- clutching her hands to her chest in attempts to subside the pain.

"H-he...I was upset s-so I came to visit y-you all but...it was only h-him." She was unable to continue, stammering out her words in a fumble of fear. "He was drunk and..." Her voice stopped at a high pitched wail.

It went straight through the immobile Seowoo, her heart sank as the pieces all came together.

"H-he wouldn't stop!"

Her Father.

A part of her almost didn't believe that the same person who brought her up- the same person she lived with- did this.

Something so inhumane and unforgivable.

She was disgusted.

"B-but that wasn't the first time Seowoo," she whispered out, tears spilling uncontrollably and wide eyed as if she was reliving the worst moments of her life. "It's been years."

↻

The front door slammed shut, the sound echoing through the vast house- Renjun swearing the whole building shook on the impact.

It was a peaceful silence that filled the house before Seowoo entered absolutely distraught.

As if the impact of the situation and news had mercilessly knocked every wisp of air out of her lungs.

Back against the door, struggling to inhale and exhale- to do anything.

That's how she felt now, trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as the name bounces around inside her skull.

Seowoo was so out of it, so utterly sickened to the core that she didn't notice the figure who lingered on the steps- hands in his pocket and held tilted as he watched her.

There was something about Chenle which left him detrimentally desensitised, apathetic.

He yearned to feel sympathy or any emotions towards others, yet it was as if he was unfazed by other people's pain.

So when he saw the girl leant against the door with her eyes screwed shut and her uneven breaths filling up the air- he pursed his lips together.

Racking his brain for what to do, taking the short few steps to the ground- eyes slitting over her.

"You okay?"

It was an easy comment to make, a go to yet he wasn't sure what to really say.

At least try to be worried.

A part of him was annoyed by how his brain worked, knowing he made situations worse by him just being there.

He knew the amount of negativity he brought subconsciously, it surrounded him as his words became blunt.

It's just better off if you weren't around anyone, you can't hurt anyone if you're alone

"No." She breathed out, opening her eyes and blinking away her blurred vision. "I'm not okay."

Chenle hesitated on speaking for a second, his mind blocked momentarily as he took a step forward.

"Did someone hurt you?" He asked almost on instinct, eyebrows drawing down as his slitted eyes raked over the length of her body for any sign of injuries.

She shook her head, fearing if she began to speak then a whimper would escape her lips and then a flood of tears.

He was now stood in front of her with his hands still in his pockets, internally debating with himself.

Seowoo looked up at him though her wet dark lashes, her mascara having smudged under her eyes yet she didn't have the heart to care.

There were bigger problems than her ruined makeup.

However, he didn't bat an eyelid to it- briefly remembering when Seyeon used his vanity area for her makeup while he was away and left makeup remover wipes there.

"Chenle, I don't know what to do." Her voice above a whisper, trembling in tone as her hands clutched the material of her jeans in her palms- gripping it tight.

"Why?" He asked, looking down at the girl as she tried so hard not to burst out into tears.

"It's like... everything I knew was a lie. Why is the world so cruel?" She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, frown printed on her lips.

Chenle had come to notice Seowoo frowned when she was upset or cried no matter how much she tried to conceal how she felt.

"I don't know Angel, I wish I did." He murmured, agreeing with her.

He knew he wasn't being much help, he was probably in the way and annoying as he just stood there yet Seowoo felt it quite comforting knowing he wasn't sneering at her and ridiculing her for being upset.

"I'm tired, I'm really tired of this all- I just want to know the truth!" She exclaimed exasperated, leaning off the door and angrily stomping up the steps in a stride of confidence.

"I'm not stopping until I get to the bottom of this, even if it ends in me dying."

"Well, I mean..." He trailed off. "There's no point knowing if you're going to die afterwards."

Seowoo stopped by his door, turning around with a glare yet he shrugged and Seowoo rolled her eyes- uncontrollably breaking out into a grin.

She groaned as she smiled, his own lips tugging up but she pushed through his bedroom door with him following her.

The fluffy white dog perked up at his owner, immediately rushing over towards Chenle.

Seowoo shrugged off her jacket, placing it on his sofa as she stared out at the city beneath by the window.

"I don't understand," she began. "How someone could live with the things they do."

"What things?" He asked nonchalantly, crouching down while searching through his cupboards.

"My Dad...he," she paused, her gut churned. "he raped my brother's girlfriend." She whispered out.

Chenle halted and Seowoo closed her eyes as she spoke the words that wouldn't make sense to her.

Her own Father?

The one who dropped her off to school and picked her up with a smile on his face?

The one who always asked if she had a good day?

The one who acted so lovingly towards her Mum?

Seowoo let out a harsh breath of air, as if she was trying to relieve the pressure from her chest.

"I don't know what to do Chenle, I feel physically sick thinking about it and I feel so guilty because I never even knew-" Seowoo turned around from the window to be faced with Chenle who was much closer than he was before.

She didn't really have time to finish her sentence as the boy's hand placed at the back of her neck guided her into his embrace.

For a moment she tensed, eyes wide.

"Why are you hugging me?" She asked confused but before he could speak, he rested his other palm on the small of her back.

"You looked like you needed a hug." He replied.

Seowoo couldn't help the genuine smile from spreading on her lips as she eased up and wrapped her own arms around him.

"Thanks Lele."

👁️👄👁️ LELE